Work noise increases risk of hearing loss

Daily exposure to excessive noise in the workplace is the primary factor in many cases of hearing loss in the working population.

Years in a noisy job increases significantly the risk of serious hearing difficulties and tinnitus. This was confirmed in a comprehensive British study among 12,907 men and women in 34 British general practices and the British armed services. The risk of serious hearing problems is more than doubled after five years in a noisy job. Many more men than women are exposed to high noise levels over many years in their workplaces. While just 3 percent of the women in the survey worked for more than 10 years in noisy environments, the same was true for 16 percent of the men. Furthermore, men who work for years in noisy jobs are more susceptible than women working in noisy conditions to suffering hearing loss. In the group of men with more than 10 years of work experience in noisy workplaces, severe hearing problems are 3.8 times more prevalent than among men who never work in noisy surroundings. Women with 10 years of experience in noisy jobs are 2.2 times more likely to suffer hearing difficulties than women in noise free jobs. In a noisy workplace, people shout to hear each other. The study does not provide details of differences in noise levels between the men's and women's workplaces. Tinnitus is another affliction associated with years in a noisy job. 13.4 percent of the men who have worked more than 10 years in a noisy job experience a persistent ringing or buzzing in their ears. This is 2.6 times the prevalence in men who are not exposed to a noisy work environment. Among women in noisy jobs, the prevalence of tinnitus is 2.8 times higher than normal after just 1-5 years of working in a noisy workplace. According to the British survey, the risk of hearing difficulties and tinnitus increases after just one year in a noisy job. After five years in the job, the risk of severe hearing loss is up to three times higher than among people in jobs with little noise. You can lessen the risks of hearing difficulties and tinnitus by protecting your ears with earplugs or other hearing protection devices at all times. Source: Occupational exposure to noise and the attributable burden of hearing difficulties in Great Britain, Occupational and environmental medicine, 2002