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Temporary changes in hearing after exposure to shooting noise
Małgorzata Pawlaczyk-Luszczyńska1, Adam Dudarewicz, Marek Bak
1Department of Physical Hazards, Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Lódź, Poland. mpawlusz@imp.lodz.pl
International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health
|September 25, 2004
Summary
Exposure to firearm noise can cause temporary hearing damage, detectable by transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE) but not pure-tone audiometry (PTA). Hearing protection effectively prevents these changes.
Area of Science:
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Occupational Health
- Acoustics
Background:
- Firearm impulse noise poses a risk to hearing.
- Transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE) may be more sensitive than pure-tone audiometry (PTA) for detecting noise-induced cochlear changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate impulse noise exposure from small-caliber firearms.
- To compare hearing changes measured by PTA and TEOAE post-exposure.
- To correlate hearing changes with noise parameters.
Main Methods:
- 18 hunters (unprotected) and 28 candidate policemen (protected) were exposed to small firearm impulse noise.
- In situ noise measurements were taken.
- Hearing was assessed using PTA and TEOAE before and after shooting.
Main Results:
- Unprotected subjects showed no PTA shift but significant TEOAE level reductions (1000-4000 Hz).
- TEOAE changes correlated with peak and maximum sound pressure levels in specific frequency bands.
- Protected subjects showed no significant hearing impairment.
Conclusions:
- Short-term exposure to firearm noise can cause temporary hearing impairment detectable by TEOAE.
- Hearing protection (earmuffs) effectively attenuates impulse noise from small-caliber firearms.
- TEOAE is a sensitive tool for assessing temporary noise-induced hearing changes.