Conflict of interest: non-existentheadache, physiological changes in heart rate, blood pressure, sleep disorders, several digestive, vestibular, neurological and behavioral disorders such as irritability, tiredness, decreased productivity, noise intolerance, anguish, anxiety, depression, stress, among others 2,3 . In relation to the necessary time exposition for triggering noise-induced hearing loss, the highest number of impairing rates occurs between five and seven years, decreasing loss progression rate until fifteen years when it tends to stabilize as long as exposition conditions and absence of other causative factors are kept 2,4,5 . Noise-induced hearing loss characterized by irreversible cochlear damage, in configuration of high-frequency features one of the most serious, prevalent problems for workers' health. Studies have evidenced that there has not been a reduction in work-related deafness 6 . Occupational noise is also present in hospitals, mainly in hospital laundries where continuous exposition to high levels of sound pressure may bring about permanent changes in workers' hearing
INTRODUCTIONAmong all agents that may result in occupational hazard, noise certainly appears as the most frequent one, exposing a larger number of individuals.1 It is known that workers exposed to high levels of noise, above the tolerance threshold, complain about hearing loss and tinnitus, besides
NOISE EFFECTS ON HOSPITAL LAUNDRY WORKERS' HEARING
Efeitos do ruído na audição de trabalhadores de lavanderia hospitalarFrancisca Pinheiro Fontoura ABSTRACT Purpose: to carry out a characterize the hearing profile of workers from a hospital laundry. Method: crosscut study, with 95 workers, males and females, age averaging 38.23, held at the laundry of a public hospital located in the city of Curitiba, Parana State/Brazil. Documental laundry analysis was carried out (Medical Control and Occupational Health Program and Environmental Risk Prevention Program), noise measurement, anamnesis-applied hearing evaluation, tonal threshold audiometry, acoustic immittance, and transient otoacoustic emission testing. Audiograms were analyzed through clinical and occupational criteria (Labor Ministry/ Regulatory Norm 7). Results: noise levels found were 77.0 to 99.0 dB(A), 37.89% audiograms were altered, among them, 18.94% suggesting noiseinduced hearing loss, mainly among the clothes folders. The test of otoacoustic emissions showed no transient responses in 13 subjects with no emissions in some ears. Conclusion: the laundry is a hazardous place for hearing loss, thus preventive measures, such as Hearing Conservation Programs must be adopted.