Evaluation of the hearing status in carpenters

Abstract

Purpose Carpenters are constantly exposed to a noise level of 82-100 dB(A) in their professional lives. The aim of this study is to evaluate the hearing status of carpenters with pure -tone audiometry and transient evoked otoacoustic emissions test. Methods A total of 62 individuals were enrolled. The study group consisted of 31 carpenters and the controls were age and sex matched healthy individuals who were not exposed to continuous or sudden noise. Results The average age of the carpenters is 44.58 +/- 10.33, the average age of the control group is 41.84 +/- 8.65 and there was no statistically significant difference (p = 0.262). There was a significant hearing loss in the study group nearly at all frequencies when compared to the control group (p < 0.05). The emission values of the right and left ears of the carpenters were significantly lower than the controls at 2000 and 2800 Hz (p < 0.05). Conclusion Accordingly, carpenters seem to be susceptible to the development of noise-induced hearing loss.