A Study on Vestibular Function of Workers with Noise Induced Hearing Loss in Air Base

Kim, Sung Won; Park, Jae Beom

Abstract

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to investigate the influence of chronic noise stimulation on vestibular function system.
METHODS
We selected 19 workers as study group, The study group workers had NIHL (Noise Induced Hearing Loss, Hearing threshold >or=30 dB at 4,000 Hz in both ears), had exposed noise at least 5 years. Also, we selected 11 workers as reference group who had not exposed workplace noise. We conduct-ed SHA (Slow Harmonic Acceleration) test at 0.01, 0.02, 0.04, 0.08, 0.16 Hz and got gain, phase in both groups.
RESULTS
The gains were within normal limits in both study and reference groups and not significantly between two groups. The phase were within normal limits except for 0.16 Hz in study group and showed sig-nificant difference only at 0.01 Hz between two groups. The mean gain and mean hearing threshold at 4,000 Hz and 8,000 Hz had negative correlation (r=-0.271) but it was not significant.
CONCLUSION
This study do not reveal the significant vestibular function impairment of workers with NIHL. But further study is required to inves-tigate the vestibular compensation.