Occupational Exposure to Noise and Age-related Hearing Loss in an Elderly Population of Southern Italy

Abstract

Background: Age-Related Hearing Loss (ARHL) is a gradual and irreversible age-dependent decline in auditory function. There is still no consensus on the long-term functional effects of noise exposure on ARHL. Objective: This study aimed to compare the prevalence of ARHL in an elderly population occupationally exposed to noise in a non-exposed population. Methods: The population was divided into two groups: a group of 482 subjects professionally exposed to noise for over 10 years and a group of 1129 non-exposed subjects. Among the exposed subjects, a subgroup of 298 who worked for over 10 years in the glassware industry was selected. All the participants underwent a thorough otorhinolaryngological examination. Results: The presence of ARHL was found in 81% of exposed subjects and in 4% of non-exposed subjects. In the sub-group of glassware workers, the prevalence was 88%. The statistical analysis showed a significant association between previous occupational exposure to noise and ARHL (OR = 1.09; 95% CI = 1.067-1.124; p = 0.0012) and between exposure to the glassware industry and ARHL (OR = 1.89; 95% CI = 1.78-1.96; p = 0.006). Conclusion: Consistent with recent studies, we found a significantly higher prevalence of ARHL among workers exposed to noise; however, further studies are needed to support these findings.

Understanding the Relationship Between Age-Related Hearing Loss and Alzheimer’s Disease: A Narrative Review

“…ARHL is also characterized by impaired sound localization, reduced central auditory processing as well as reduced perception and understanding of speech in noisy environments [ 40 ]. The development of ARHL is suggested to be multifactorial, influenced by factors such as cochlear aging [ 38, 41 ], noise exposure [ 42, 43 ], gender [ 44 ], race [ 45, 46 ], genetic predisposition [ 47 ], environmental variables [ 48, 49 ], hypertension [ 50 ], and other health comorbidities, such as type 2 diabetes [ 51 ]. The main pathologies of ARHL are of cochlear origin, including loss of sensory (hair) cells, stria vascularis atrophy, auditory nerve degeneration, and loss of spiral ganglion neurons, and often coupled with changes in central auditory pathways [ 40, 52 ].…”

Synergistic effect of smoking on age-related hearing loss in patients with diabetes

“…Occupational noise exposure is an environmental risk factor, and susceptibility to noise can differ among individuals. The association between noise exposure and ARHL is generally accepted, and the use of ear protection devices in noisy environments is recommended 6 , 7 . Smoking has also been suggested to be an environmental risk factor for ARHL 4 , 8 .…”