NOISE-RELATED HEARING LOSS FREQUENCY AND RELATED FACTORS IN A UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES CLINIC. Ege University Faculty of Medicine Hospital Occupational Diseases Clinic -2018

Objective: Noise is an important hazard that negatively affects hearing and perception in humans, causes physiological and psychological disorders, and reduces work performance. We wanted to determine the socio-demographic and occupational factors associated with the frequency of noise-induced hearing loss in patients who applied to the occupational diseases clinic and draw attention to what should be done to prevent its occurrence. Methods: The population of the cross-sectional study consisted of 463 workers who applied to a university hospital Occupational Diseases Policlinic between November 2015 and November 2018. General physical examination was performed and hearing problems were evaluated and than audiometric examination was performed with Madsen Itera II audiometry device. Chi-square test and descriptive statistics were used as statistical analysis. Results: 23.5% of the workers were diagnosed with hearing loss. 397 (85.7%) of the participants described that they were exposed to noise in the workplace. Noise exposure has been associated with hearing loss. 15 packs / year and above smoking, expressing noise exposure in the workplace and not using headphones, chemical substances in the work environment; Exposure to any of the lead, manganese and mercury made a significant difference in terms of hearing loss. Conclusion: The correct use of personal protective equipment such as earphones depends on individual factors. Incorrect and inadequate headphone use is an important factor in noise-induced hearing loss. For this reason, engineering measures are extremely important among the primary preventive methods. Smoking, chemical exposure are effective factors in noise-related hearing loss.