Korean J Otorhinolaryngol-Head Neck Surg.  2019 Mar;62(3):151-156. 10.3342/kjorl-hns.2018.00262.

Hearing Outcome of Patients with Acute Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

• Choi BG
• Hong SK
• Kim HJ
• Lee HJ

• KMID: 2442057
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3342/kjorl-hns.2018.00262

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Although poor hearing outcomes have been associated with acute noise-induced hearing loss (ANIHL), only limited studies exist on this issue. This study evaluated the prognosis of ANIHL in comparison to idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) and investigated the types of noise causing these disorders.
SUBJECTS AND METHOD
Patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss due to noise exposure were included in the ANIHL group if the threshold shift was more than 30 dB in three or more consecutive frequencies within the study period (from January 2010 to December 2016). The ANIHL group included 19 patients. As a matched-control group, treated patients with ISSNHL (n=95) were selected as a way of controlling the known prognostic factors that were evenly distributed between groups. Selected prognostic variables used for matching included age, sex, the degree of initial hearing loss, the number of days before the start of treatment, and treatment method.
RESULTS
The overall hearing recovery rate of ANIHL was 11% and that of the control group was 80% (p<0.001). Noise exposure in military service (37%) and leisure activities (37%) was the most prominent cause of ANIHL.
CONCLUSION
The hearing outcome of ANIHL was worse than that of ISSNHL. It is thus necessary to establish national guidelines for environmental noise regulations and to raise awareness of hazardous noise exposure.

Keyword

Noise-induced hearing loss; Prognosis; Sudden hearing loss

MeSH Terms

Hearing Loss
Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced*
Hearing Loss, Sensorineural
Hearing Loss, Sudden
Hearing*
Humans
Leisure Activities
Methods
Military Personnel
Noise
Prognosis
Social Control, Formal