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Patulous eustachian tube (PET) dysfunction is a rare complication of weight loss, which can be easily misdiagnosed. We present a case of PET dysfunction after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. A 36-year-old Caucasian female with Class III morbid obesity (131 kg, BMI 46.6 kg/m 2) successfully underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. At her postoperative follow-up appointment six months later, her weight dropped to 96 kg and she complained of severe autophony (hearing of self-generated sounds), leading to anxiety and insomnia. She was initially misdiagnosed with a sinus infection by her primary care provider and was started on antibiotics. She was subsequently seen by an otolaryngologist who diagnosed her with PET. Weight loss can be a predisposing factor for PET. Our patient did not notice onset of symptoms of PET until significant weight loss (35 kg, 59.5% EWL).

Industrial noise is one of the most common factors of the working environment in the workplace. Every third employee is exposed to it. Occupational diseases from noise exposure, which account for 23–28% of the total occupational morbidity over the past 5 years, are registered annually in the Russian Federation. In this regard, we have developed a program for the prevention of sensorineural hearing loss in industrial workers. The developed program reflects the general principles of preventive measures and includes the following sections: determination of noise exposures, measures to prevent the harmful effects of noise (architectural and planning, technical, organizational, medical and preventive). A separate section of the program is devoted to informing employees about the risk of health disorders from noise exposure. As a result of the implementation of the hearing protection program in the workplace, we can expect a decrease in the number of occupational diseases from noise exposure, an increase in labor productivity, and a reduction in work injuries.

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