Hearing problems at working age: Audiometric features and the aetiology of hearing impairment

Abstract

Sixty patients, 37 women and 23 men, aged 30−65 years, were included in the study. All had adult-onset hearing loss to an extent that necessitated hearing-aid fitting. The objective was to describe the audiometric features and extent of hearing loss, and to determine the aetiology of hearing impairments in hard-of-hearing patients in working life. The extent of hearing loss varied considerably; about one-third of the patients had moderate to severe hearing loss in both ears, about one-third had bilateral, mild hearing loss, and somewhat less than one-third had unilateral or asymmetrical hearing loss, with mild loss or even normal hearing in one ear. In 77% of the cases a diagnosis, verified or tentative, could be established. Middle ear disease with conductive or mixed hearing loss was found in 20% of the cases. Noise-induced hearing loss was diagnosed in 10% of the cases. The most common, but highly tentative, diagnosis was hereditary hearing loss. Including cases of otosclerosis, genetic hearing loss was suspected in 50% of the patients. Other diagnoses were occasionally encountered. Most of the patients had gently sloping audiograms of the better ear, followed by steeply sloping and U-shaped audiograms. It is concluded that a thorough audiological and medical investigation is an essential part of the process of aural rehabilitation.

• hearing loss
• working life
• chronic otitis media
• noise-induced hearing loss
• hereditary hearing loss
• otosclerosis