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Effects of shift work and intermittent noise exposure on hearing: Mechanisms and prophylactic potential.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
It is well established that intermittent noise exposure characteristically produces less hearing loss than equal energy/intensity continuous noise in animal models. Ongoing different shift work regimes open for direct studies on hearing effects of intermittent noise exposure in man without ethical concern. Amazingly, few such studies are reported. In one recent study in the present volume, noise-exposed employees working 12 hours a day for two consecutive days followed by two days off, the cycle then repeated, had significantly lower permanent hearing loss than employees working nine-hour shifts from 8 am to 5 pm Monda...
Source: Noise and Health - September 30, 2009 Category: Audiology Authors: Borchgrevink HM Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Effects of shift work on noise-induced hearing loss.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In conclusion, working a 12-hour shift followed by a day off is best for workers and hearing protection should be provided in high noise areas. PMID: 19805926 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Noise and Health)
Source: Noise and Health - September 30, 2009 Category: Audiology Authors: Chou YF, Lai JS, Kuo HW Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Development of a noise prediction model under interrupted traffic flow conditions: A case study for Jaipur city.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The objective of this study is to develop an empirical noise prediction model for the evaluation of equivalent noise levels (Leq) under interrupted traffic flow conditions. A new factor tendency to blow horn (A H ) was introduced in the conventional federal highway administrative noise prediction (FHWA) model and a comparative study was made between FHWA and modified FHWA models to evaluate the best suitability of the model. Monitoring and modeling of Leq were carried out at four selected intersections of Jaipur city. After comparison of the results, it was found that the modified FHWA model could be satisfactorily applied...
Source: Noise and Health - September 30, 2009 Category: Audiology Authors: Agarwal S, Swami BL, Gupta AB Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Effects of road traffic noise and irrelevant speech on children's reading and mathematical performance.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Irrelevant speech in classrooms and road traffic noise adjacent to schools have a substantial impact on children's ability to learn. Comparing the effects of different noise sources on learning may help construct guidelines for noise abatement programs. Experimental studies are important to establish dose-response relationships and to expand our knowledge beyond correlation studies. This experiment examined effects of road traffic noise and irrelevant speech on children's reading speed, reading comprehension, basic mathematics, and mathematical reasoning. A total of 187 pupils (89 girls and 98 boys), 12-13 years old, w...
Source: Noise and Health - September 30, 2009 Category: Audiology Authors: Ljung R, Sorqvist P, Hygge S Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Sound localization with an army helmet worn in combination with an in-ear advanced communications system.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conventional hearing protection devices result in decrements mainly in the ability to distinguish front from rearward sound sources. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of wearing an earplug with advanced communications capability, in combination with an army helmet, on horizontal plane speaker identification. Ten normal-hearing male subjects were tested in a semi-reverberant sound proof booth under eight conditions defined by combinations of two levels of ear occlusion (unoccluded and occluded by the earplug) and four levels of the helmet (head bare and fitted with the helmet modified to give no, parti...
Source: Noise and Health - September 30, 2009 Category: Audiology Authors: Abel SM, Boyne S, Roesler-Mulroney H Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Expert system to predict effects of noise pollution on operators of power plant using neuro-fuzzy approach.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study aims to develop a neuro-fuzzy model to predict the effects of noise pollution on human work efficiency as a function of noise level, exposure time, and age of the operators doing complex type of task. PMID: 19805930 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Noise and Health)
Source: Noise and Health - September 30, 2009 Category: Audiology Authors: Ahmed HK, Zulquernain M Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Blink rate during tests of executive performance after nocturnal traffic noise.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This analysis is on the hypothesis that nocturnal traffic noise affects sleep quality whereas performance decrement is avoided by increased effort expressed by a decrease in blink rates (BRs) during a visual task. Twenty-four persons (12 women, 12 men; 19-28 years, 23.56 +/- 2.49 years) slept during three consecutive weeks in the laboratory while exposed to road, rail, or aircraft noise with weekly permuted changes. Each week consisted of a random sequence of a quiet night (32 dBA) and three nights with equivalent noise levels of 39, 44 and 50 dBA respectively. The polysomnogram was recorded during all nights. Every mo...
Source: Noise and Health - September 30, 2009 Category: Audiology Authors: Breimhorst M, Marks A, Robens S, Griefahn B Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Estimates of the auditory risk from outdoor impulse noise I: Firecrackers.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study, impulses produced outdoors by consumer firecrackers were recorded, described, and analyzed with respect to the amount of the auditory risk they pose to the unprotected listener under various listening conditions. Risk estimates were obtained using three contemporary damage risk criteria (DRC), including a waveform parameter-based approach (peak SPL and B duration), an energy-based criterion (A-weighted sound exposure level and equivalent continuous level), and a physiological model (the AHAAH model developed by Price and Kalb). Results from these DRC were converted into numbers of maximum permissible unprote...
Source: Noise and Health - September 30, 2009 Category: Audiology Authors: Flamme GA, Liebe K, Wong A Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Estimates of auditory risk from outdoor impulse noise II: Civilian firearms.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study records, describes and analyzes impulses produced outdoors by civilian firearms with respect to the amount of auditory risk they pose to the unprotected listener under various listening conditions. Risk estimates were obtained using three contemporary damage risk criteria (DRC) including a waveform parameter-based approach (peak SPL and B-duration), an energy-based criterion (A-weighted SEL and equivalent continuous level) and a physiological model (AHAAH). Results from these DRC were converted into a number of maximum permissible unprotected exposures to facilitate interpretation. Acoustic characteristics of fi...
Source: Noise and Health - September 30, 2009 Category: Audiology Authors: Flamme GA, Wong A, Liebe K, Lynd J Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Personal listening devices and hearing loss: Seeking evidence of a long term problem through a successful short-term investigation.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PMID: 19602764 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Noise and Health)
Source: Noise and Health - June 30, 2009 Category: Audiology Authors: Fligor BJ Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Output sound pressure levels of personal music systems and their effect on hearing.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study looked at output levels produced by new generation personal music systems (PMS), at the level of eardrum by placing the probe microphone in the ear canal. Further, the effect of these PMS on hearing was evaluated by comparing the distortion product otoacoustic emissions and high frequency pure tone thresholds (from 3 kHz to 12 kHz) of individuals who use PMS to that of age matched controls who did not use PMS. The relationship between output sound pressure levels and hearing measures was also evaluated. In Phase I output SPLs produced by the PMS were measured in three different conditions - a) at volume control ...
Source: Noise and Health - June 30, 2009 Category: Audiology Authors: Kumar A, Mathew K, Alexander SA, Kiran C Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Heavy metals and noise exposure: Health effects.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Heavy metals are chemical elements with a specific gravity that is atleast five times that of water which is 1 at 4 degrees C. The commonly encountered heavy metals are lead,mercury, cadmium, and arsenic. Lead levels in children continue to be a health hazard as the current limit of 10ug/dL is considered too high with the WHO estimate of 40% of children having blood levels greater than 5ug/dL. Some authors have suggested a new limit should be set at 2ug/dL. There are substantial differences in the literature regarding the effects of lead on hearing as assessed by pure tone audiometry. Mercury causes hearing loss and ne...
Source: Noise and Health - June 30, 2009 Category: Audiology Authors: Prasher D Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Assessment of noise exposure in a hospital kitchen.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In March 2007, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) was asked to evaluate the noise exposure of employees in the Nutrition and Food Services Department of a large hospital, because of noise concerns raised after the installation of the PowerSoak (R) dishwashing system. Eleven employees (two cooks, eight food service workers, and a materials handler) contributed 13 full-shift and two task-based personal noise dosimetry measures over two days. The noise levels for two food service workers assigned to the pots and pans room (85.1 and 85.2dBA), a cook working in the food preparation area (85.9 ...
Source: Noise and Health - June 30, 2009 Category: Audiology Authors: Achutan C Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Is there evidence that environmental noise is immunotoxic?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Noise is a stressor. Noise-induced stress can lead to release of stress hormones. Acute stress whether physical or psychological is necessary for adaptation to change. However, chronic stress can lead to the persistent elevation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical hormones, which are detrimental to health and can lead to disease states. It has also been suggested that there may be multiple interactions between the sympathetic and the complex feedback neuroendocrine systems, which interact with the immune system, in the genesis of the observed effects. Thus noise stress may be a factor contributing to the mechanism...
Source: Noise and Health - June 30, 2009 Category: Audiology Authors: Prasher D Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Could an underlying hearing loss be a significant factor in the handicap caused by tinnitus?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
There have been several studies that have demonstrated a link between the hearing loss of subjects and tinnitus. However, there has been no systematic evaluation of the link between perceived tinnitus distress and an underlying hearing loss. The purpose of the current study is to explore this association, and ascertain whether a subject's hearing loss contributes to the handicap caused by tinnitus. A group of 96 adults were evaluated with Pure Tone Audiometry and a questionnaire that included the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). In 58% of the subjects, the side of the unilateral or worse tinnitus corresponded with th...
Source: Noise and Health - June 30, 2009 Category: Audiology Authors: Ratnayake SA, Jayarajan V, Bartlett J Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Exposure-response relationship of the association between aircraft noise and the risk of hypertension.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Noise is a stressor that affects the autonomic nervous system and the endocrine system. Under conditions of chronic noise stress the cardiovascular system may adversely be affected. Epidemiological noise studies regarding the relationship between aircraft noise and cardiovascular effects have been carried out on adults and on children focussing on mean blood pressure, hypertension and ischemic heart diseases as cardiovascular endpoints. While there is evidence that road traffic noise increases the risk of ischemic heart disease, including myocardial infarction, there is less such evidence for such an association with a...
Source: Noise and Health - June 30, 2009 Category: Audiology Authors: Babisch W, Kamp I Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Reduction of road traffic noise and mental health: An intervention study.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study examines whether the reduction in road traffic noise following the introduction of a bypass leads to reduction in noise annoyance and common mental disorder and an improvement in quality of life. Repeated measures field study with intervention in three small towns in North Wales, UK. Participants were residents 16 to 90 years living in areas of high or low exposure to road traffic noise. At baseline there was no difference in annoyance, quality of life or common mental disorder between traffic noise exposed and quiet areas. There was a small reduction in noise exposure (2-4 dBA) with the opening of the bypass. T...
Source: Noise and Health - June 30, 2009 Category: Audiology Authors: Stansfeld SA, Haines MM, Berry B, Burr M Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Non-auditory health effects among air force crew chiefs exposed to high level sound.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The possibility of non-auditory health effects in connection with occupational exposure to high level sound is supposed by some researchers, but is still debated. Crew chiefs on airfields are exposed to high-level aircraft sound when working close to aircraft with running engines. We compared their health status with a similar control group who were not subject to this specific sound exposure. Health records of 42 crew chiefs were compared to health records of 42 aircraft mechanics and 17 former crew chiefs. The specific sound exposure of crew chiefs was assessed. The number of reported disease cases was generally smal...
Source: Noise and Health - June 30, 2009 Category: Audiology Authors: Jensen A, Lund SP, Lucke TH, Clausen OV, Svendsen JT Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Self-reported noise exposure as a risk factor for long-term sickness absence.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Self-reported noise exposure is on the rise in Denmark. Little is known, however, about the social consequences, including sickness absence, of noise exposure. The aim of this paper was to investigate the association between self-reported noise exposure and long-term sickness absence. The association was investigated using the Cox proportional hazards model to analyze outcomes in Danish register data on the basis of Danish survey data (5357 employees aged 18-69 in 2000). The analyses showed that self-reported noise exposure was significantly associated with long-term sickness absence for both men and women when adjusti...
Source: Noise and Health - March 31, 2009 Category: Audiology Authors: Clausen T, Christensen KB, Lund T, Kristiansen J Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Noise characteristics of grass-trimming machine engines and their effect on operators.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Over the last few years, interaction of humans with noisy power-driven agricultural tools and its possible adverse after effects have been realized. Grass-trimmer engine is the primary source of noise and the use of motorized cutter, spinning at high speed, is the secondary source of noise to which operators are exposed. In the present study, investigation was carried out to determine the effect of two types of grass-trimming machine engines (SUM 328 SE and BG 328) noise on the operators in real working environment. It was found that BG-328 and SUM-328 SE produced high levels of noise, of the order of 100 and 105 dB(A)...
Source: Noise and Health - March 31, 2009 Category: Audiology Authors: Mallick Z, Badruddin IA, Khaleed Hussain MT, Salman Ahmed NJ, Kanesan J Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Distortion product otoacoustic emissions in an industrial setting.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) is an objective sensitive test of cochlear function. The aim of this study was the evaluation of noise-induced hearing loss in a group of industrial workers, using this method in conjunction with standard puretone audiometry (PTA). One hundred and five subjects (210 ears) were included in the study. PTA, tympanometry, and DPOAEs were performed. Results were analyzed using a mixed analysis of variance model, and compared with the data of 34 normal persons of similar age and sex. We found statistically significant lower DPOAE levels in the noise-exposed group than in the ...
Source: Noise and Health - March 31, 2009 Category: Audiology Authors: Korres GS, Balatsouras DG, Tzagaroulakis A, Kandiloros D, Ferekidou E, Korres S Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Noise sensitivity and subjective health: questionnaire study conducted along trunk roads in Kusatsu, Japan.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
A questionnaire study was conducted in a residential area along trunk roads in Kusatsu, Japan, in order to investigate the association between noise exposure, noise sensitivity, and subjective health. Subjective health of the respondents was measured by the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) which yields the total score as an index of psychiatric disorder and four subscales. Noise sensitivity was measured by the improved version of the Weinstein's noise sensitivity scale named WNS-6B. The original WNS and a single question directly asking respondents' noise sensitivity were also applied to confirm the validity of th...
Source: Noise and Health - March 31, 2009 Category: Audiology Authors: Kishikawa H, Matsui T, Uchiyama I, Miyakawa M, Hiramatsu K, Stansfeld SA Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Chronic exposure of rats to occupational textile noise causes cytological changes in adrenal cortex.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Chronic exposure to industrial noise and its effects on biological systems. Occupational exposure to noise may result in health disorders. Our aim was to evaluate the effects of chronic exposure to high-intensity noise of textile industry cotton rooms on the adrenal morphology. The environmental noise of a cotton-mill room from a large textile factory of Northern Portugal was recorded and reproduced by an adopted electroacoustic setup in a sound-insulated animal room where the rats were housed. The sounds were reproduced at the original levels of approximately 92 dB, which was achieved by equalization and distribution ...
Source: Noise and Health - March 31, 2009 Category: Audiology Authors: Oliveira MJ, Monteiro MP, Ribeiro AM, Pignatelli D, Aguas AP Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

A national project to evaluate and reduce high sound pressure levels from music.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The highest recommended sound pressure levels for leisure sounds (music) in Sweden are 100 dB LAeq and 115 dB LAFmax for adults, and 97 dB LAeq and 110 dB LAFmax where children under the age of 13 have access. For arrangements intended for children, levels should be consistently less than 90 dB LAeq. In 2005, a national project was carried out with the aim of improving environments with high sound pressure levels from music, such as concert halls, restaurants, and cinemas. The project covered both live and recorded music. Of Sweden's 290 municipalities, 134 took part in the project, and 93 of these carried out sound me...
Source: Noise and Health - March 31, 2009 Category: Audiology Authors: Ryberg JB Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

The hearing conservation amendment: 25 years later.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
It has been twenty-five years since the final version of the Hearing Conservation Amendment was issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the U.S. Department of Labor. Since that time, some things have changed and others have stayed exactly the same. Certainly the noise-exposed workforce is more knowledgeable about the hazards of noise, and the use of hearing protection devices (HPDs) has greatly increased. There have been significant strides in the technology for measuring noise and for protecting hearing through HPDs. But there is considerable room for improvement. Some of the noise regulation's ...
Source: Noise and Health - January 1, 2009 Category: Audiology Authors: Suter AH Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Shooting habits of U.S. waterfowl hunters.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Exposure to high-intensity impulse noise from the recreational use of firearms is a common cause of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Although recreational firearm users who shoot firearms without proper hearing protection are at risk for NIHL, a specific subgroup involved in hunting waterfowl may also be at risk due to their particular shooting habits. The goal of the present study was to investigate the shooting habits of this particular group of U.S. recreational firearm users. A 23-item written survey was sent to waterfowl hunting club members regarding their shooting behaviors, use of hearing protective devices (...
Source: Noise and Health - January 1, 2009 Category: Audiology Authors: Stewart M, Borer SE, Lehman M Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Hearing loss in veterans and the need for hearing loss prevention programs.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Currently, there are more than 445,000 veterans receiving compensation for hearing loss associated with military service, and 395,000 receiving compensation for service-related tinnitus. In addition to compensation payments, service-related hearing disorders cost the US Department of Veterans Affairs in terms of provision of hearing aids, hearing aid-related services, and clinical services at its 220 facilities nationwide. It is imperative that hearing conservation among military personnel and veterans be addressed. In this paper, we describe the rationale for and the development of a multimedia Hearing Loss Prevention...
Source: Noise and Health - January 1, 2009 Category: Audiology Authors: Saunders GH, Griest SE Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Strategic and tactical thinking in the hearing conservation mindset: A military perspective.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PMID: 19265250 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Noise and Health)
Source: Noise and Health - January 1, 2009 Category: Audiology Authors: Ohlin D Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Synergistic ototoxicity due to noise exposure and aminoglycoside antibiotics.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Acoustic exposure to high intensity and/or prolonged noise causes temporary or permanent threshold shifts in auditory perception, reflected by reversible or irreversible damage in the cochlea. Aminoglycoside antibiotics, used for treating or preventing life-threatening bacterial infections, also induce cytotoxicity in the cochlea. Combined noise and aminoglycoside exposure, particularly in neonatal intensive care units, can lead to auditory threshold shifts greater than simple summation of the two insults. The synergistic toxicity of acoustic exposure and aminoglycoside antibiotics is not limited to simultaneous exposu...
Source: Noise and Health - January 1, 2009 Category: Audiology Authors: Li H, Steyger PS Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Principles and application of educational counseling used in progressive audiologic tinnitus management.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This article provides an overview of the methods of counseling used with PATM and provides details concerning the overarching principles of collaborative adult learning that are believed to be most important in facilitating self-management by patients who complain of tinnitus. PMID: 19265252 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Noise and Health)
Source: Noise and Health - January 1, 2009 Category: Audiology Authors: Henry JA, Zaugg TL, Myers PJ, Kendall CJ, Turbin MB Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Attitudes of college music students towards noise in youth culture.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The effectiveness of a hearing loss prevention program within a college may be dependent on attitudes among students majoring in music. The purpose of this study was to assess the attitudes of music majors toward noise and to compare them to students not majoring in music. Participants ( N = 467) filled out a questionnaire designed to assess attitudes toward noise in youth culture and attitudes toward influencing their sound environment. Results showed that students majoring in music have a healthier attitude toward sound compared to students not majoring in music. Findings also showed that music majors are more aware ...
Source: Noise and Health - January 1, 2009 Category: Audiology Authors: Chesky K, Pair M, Lanford S, Yoshimura E Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Elementary school children's knowledge and intended behavior toward hearing conservation.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The purposes of the study were to investigate children's knowledge about hearing conservation, the types of protective behaviors they would adopt in noise, the agreement between children's knowledge and intended behaviors in hearing protection, and reasons why they would not take any protective action in noise. A questionnaire was administered to 479 fourth and fifth graders in their school classrooms. Results indicated that children scored low (62.0%) on this hearing conservation questionnaire. They scored the highest in strategies of hearing protection (69.9%), followed by their knowledge in general hearing health (6...
Source: Noise and Health - January 1, 2009 Category: Audiology Authors: Chen H, Huang M, Wei J Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Reliability of audiometric thresholds obtained with insert earphones when used by certified audiometric technicians.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study was undertaken to research whether certified audiometric technicians without practical hands-on training could reliably use insert earphones when compared to a clinically experienced audiologist. Hearing thresholds were obtained on 60 human ears by six certified audiometric technicians using insert earphones for the first time. Technician-acquired audiometric thresholds were compared to thresholds obtained under the same conditions by a clinical audiologist experienced in the use of the insert earphones. Statistical analyses of audiometric thresholds were performed to investigate the relationships between audiom...
Source: Noise and Health - January 1, 2009 Category: Audiology Authors: Bell-Lehmkuhler B, Meinke DK, Sedey A, Tuell C Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

A field investigation of hearing protection and hearing enhancement in one device: For soldiers whose ears and lives depend upon it.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Operational hearing protection and maintenance of audibility of signals and speech are considered force multipliers in military operations, increasing Soldier survivability and lethality. The in-field research described in this paper was conducted to examine operational performance effects of three different hearing enhancement protection systems (HEPS) that are intended to provide both protection and audibility. The experiment utilized operationally-defined measures in full-scale, simulated combat scenarios with Army ROTC Cadet Soldiers as subjects. The Soldiers' operational performance was evaluated in two missions: ...
Source: Noise and Health - January 1, 2009 Category: Audiology Authors: Casali JG, Ahroon WA, Lancaster JA Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

High sound pressure levels in Bavarian discotheques remain after introduction of voluntary agreements.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
While no legal rules or regulations exist in Germany, voluntary measures were introduced to achieve a reduction of sound pressure levels in discotheques to levels below 100 dB(A). To evaluate the current levels in Bavarian discotheques and to find out whether these voluntary measures ensured compliance with the recommended limits, sound pressure levels were measured in 20 Bavarian discotheques between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. With respect to the equivalent continuous A-weighted sound pressure level for each 30-minute period (L Aeq,30min ), only 4/20 discotheques remained below the limit of 100 dB(A) in all time periods. Ten ...
Source: Noise and Health - October 1, 2008 Category: Audiology Authors: Twardella D, Wellhoefer A, Brix J, Fromme H Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Elementary school children's knowledge and intended behavior towards hearing conservation.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The purposes of the study were to investigate children's knowledge about hearing conservation, the types of protective behaviors they would adopt towards noise, the agreement between children's knowledge and intended behaviors in hearing protection, and reasons why they would not take any protective action against noise. A questionnaire was administered to 479 4 th and 5 th graders in their school classrooms. Results indicated that children scored low (62.01%) on this hearing conservation questionnaire. They scored the highest in strategies of hearing protection (69.89%), followed by their knowledge in general hearing ...
Source: Noise and Health - October 1, 2008 Category: Audiology Authors: Chen H, Huang M, Wei J Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Noise levels in Greek hospitals.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: Noise levels measured in the ward and in the ICU were high, significantly exceeding the highest permitted values for hospitals. The latter was more obviously recorded in the ICU. PMID: 19075458 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Noise and Health)
Source: Noise and Health - October 1, 2008 Category: Audiology Authors: Tsara V, Nena E, Serasli E, Vasileiadis V, Matamis D, Christaki P Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Fraction of work-related accidents attributable to occupational noise in the city of Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Discussion: The causes of this association as well as its implications in the prevention of work accidents are discussed. PMID: 19052438 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Noise and Health)
Source: Noise and Health - July 1, 2008 Category: Audiology Authors: Dias A, Cordeiro R Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Audiological findings in individuals exposed to organic solvents: Case studies.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study investigated hearing and auditory processing in seven individuals with a history of exposure to industrial solvents. A battery of audiological tests was administered to all subjects: pure tone, speech, and impedance audiometry, otoacoustic emissions tests, auditory brainstem responses, middle latency responses, as well as the SCAN-A and R-SPIN tests with low predictability sentence lists. All individuals in this study exhibited findings consistent with retrocochlear and/or central abnormality. Two of the seven subjects in this study had normal pure tone thresholds at all frequencies bilaterally, yet showed abnor...
Source: Noise and Health - July 1, 2008 Category: Audiology Authors: Gopal KV Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

What do we know about hearing protector comfort?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The purpose of the present article is to review comfort studies on hearing protector devices. Comfort is probably the most important dimension for long-term worker acceptance and effective wear of hearing protectors in noise. A short digression has been made to introduce comfort work from the textile and clothing industries where models of comfort have been attempted and comfort research is much more sophisticated. Finally, presented are some recent efforts by NIOSH to examine issues of hearing protector comfort in greater detail. These efforts include a field study of a semi-custom earplug hearing protector. PMID:...
Source: Noise and Health - July 1, 2008 Category: Audiology Authors: Davis RR Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

The relationship between noise frequency components and physical, physiological and psychological effects of industrial workers.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
A corollary to industrialization and urbanization is a significant increase in noise levels. In many industrial settings, the noise levels are such that they are potential health hazards. There are many studies which suggest that prolonged exposures to high noise levels have a negative impact on various aspects of human physiology. However, not much work has been conducted in studying the effects of various noise frequencies in the industrial environment. This paper has made an attempt to identify various noise frequency components to which the workers of six major industries in Mysore (Karnataka State, India) are bein...
Source: Noise and Health - July 1, 2008 Category: Audiology Authors: Mahendra Prashanth KV, Sridhar V Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Hospital contacts for noise-related hearing loss among Danish seafarers and fishermen: A population-based cohort study.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: These findings indicate that hearing problems are frequent among men who work in the engine rooms on ships. Long-term cumulative effects of employment were not shown. PMID: 18580037 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Noise and Health)
Source: Noise and Health - April 1, 2008 Category: Audiology Authors: Kaerlev L, Jensen A, Nielsen PS, Olsen J, Hannerz H, Tuchsen F Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Monetary value of undisturbed sleep.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: Sleep undisturbed by noise has a remarkably high monetary value for people, which should be considered in political decision-making. PMID: 18580038 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Noise and Health)
Source: Noise and Health - April 1, 2008 Category: Audiology Authors: Riethmuller S, Muller-Wenk R, Knoblauch A, Schoch OD Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Occupational noise in rice mills.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: The workers in the rice mills are exposed to high noise, which will have detrimental effect on their health. Apart from undertaking appropriate noise control measures, preventive maintenance of machines needs to be given due importance in all the rice mills. PMID: 18580039 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Noise and Health)
Source: Noise and Health - April 1, 2008 Category: Audiology Authors: Prasanna Kumar GV, Dewangan KN, Sarkar A, Kumari A, Kar B Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Auditory lifestyles and beliefs related to hearing loss among college students in the USA.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the auditory life styles and beliefs of college students with reference to exposure to loud sounds in the context of the health belief model. A survey was administered to 238 (40 men, 198 women) students in the USA. Results suggest that 44% of the students use noisy equipment without ear protection and 29% (69/238) of the students work in noisy environments. Of the 69 who worked in noisy surroundings, only ten reported wearing hearing protection devices although 50 (72.46%) reported tinnitus. The use of hearing protection devices (HPDs) was associated with previous experience w...
Source: Noise and Health - January 1, 2008 Category: Audiology Authors: Rawool VW, Colligon-Wayne LA Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Noise levels in a tertiary care hospital.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study highlights the need for noise monitoring and control measures inside hospital areas. PMID: 18270403 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Noise and Health)
Source: Noise and Health - January 1, 2008 Category: Audiology Authors: Vinodhkumaradithyaa A, Srinivasan M, Ananthalakshmi I, Kumar DP, Jeba Rajasekhar RV, Daniel T, Thirumalaikolundusubramanian P Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Employment and acceptance of hearing protectors in classical symphony and opera orchestras.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: The subject of hearing protection in orchestral musicians should be investigated with a multidimensional approach which considers the following in equal measure: legal regulations, the requirements and limits of the music sector and the individual characteristics of the musicians involved. PMID: 18270404 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Noise and Health)
Source: Noise and Health - January 1, 2008 Category: Audiology Authors: Zander MF, Spahn C, Richter B Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Road traffic noise and cardiovascular risk.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Studies on the association between community noise and cardiovascular risk were subjected to a meta-analysis for deriving a common dose-effect curve. Peer-reviewed articles, objective assessment of exposure and outcome as well as control for confounding and multiple exposure categories were all necessary inclusion criteria. A distinction was made between descriptive (cross-sectional) and analytical (case-control, cohort) studies. Meta-analyses were carried out for two descriptive and five analytical studies for calculating a pooled dose-effect curve for the association between road traffic noise levels and the risk of ...
Source: Noise and Health - January 1, 2008 Category: Audiology Authors: Babisch W Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Effects of binaural electronic hearing protectors on localization and response time to sounds in the horizontal plane.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The effects of electronic hearing protector devices (HPDs) on localization and response time (RT) to stimuli were assessed at six locations in the horizontal plane. The stimuli included a firearm loading, telephone ringing and .5-kHz and 4-kHz tonebursts presented during continuous traffic noise. Eight normally hearing adult listeners were evaluated under two conditions: (a) ears unoccluded; (b) ears occluded with one of three amplitude-sensitive sound transmission HPDs. All HPDs were found to affect localization, and performance was dependent on stimuli and location. Response time (RT) was less in the unoccluded condi...
Source: Noise and Health - October 1, 2007 Category: Audiology Authors: Carmichel EL, Harris FP, Story BH Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals

Factorial validity of the noise sensitivity questionnaire.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The Noise Sensitivity Questionnaire (NoiSeQ) aims at the measurement of global noise sensitivity as well as the sensitivity for five domains of everyday life namely 'Leisure', 'Work', 'Habitation', 'Communication' and 'Sleep'. The present investigation examined the factorial validity of the NoiSeQ to determine whether the items of the NoiSeQ cover the different factors as assumed. The analysis was done using the method of Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). The linear structural model took into consideration only the scales of the NoiSeQ for which reliability could be demonstrated, namely, 'Sleep', 'Communication', 'Ha...
Source: Noise and Health - October 1, 2007 Category: Audiology Authors: Schutte M, Sandrock S, Griefahn B Tags: Noise Health Source Type: journals