Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 6, 2026
14:05
Behavioral Assessment of Hearing in 2 to 4 Year-old Children: A Two-interval, Observer-based Procedure Using Conditioned Play-based Responses
Published on: January 23, 2017
[Auditory threshold in professional divers not exposed to noise].
Jesús Herranz González-Botas1, Salvador Fojón Polanco, María Soledad López Facal
1Servicio de Otorrinolaringología, Complejo Hospitalario Juan Canalejo, A Coruña, España. jhg@canalejo.org
Acta Otorrinolaringologica Espanola
|March 18, 2008
Summary
Professional divers experienced hearing loss related to age and dive experience, even in quiet environments. This study evaluated 233 divers, finding mild hearing loss in 73.5%.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Audiology
- Diving Medicine
Context:
- Professional divers often work in environments with significant noise exposure.
- However, this study focuses on a unique cohort of divers operating without noise exposure.
- Understanding hearing health in divers is crucial due to the unique physiological stresses of underwater environments.
Purpose:
- To conduct an otologic and audiometric evaluation of professional divers.
- To analyze the impact of professional diving on hearing, specifically in the absence of noise exposure.
- To identify factors contributing to hearing loss in this specialized population.
Summary:
- 233 professional divers with an average of 9.6 years of experience and 2074 dives were evaluated.
- Despite no noise exposure, 89.2% reported symptoms of decompression sickness (DCS), and 73.5% exhibited mild hearing loss.
- Hearing thresholds at 3, 4, and 6 kHz significantly correlated with diver's age and years of experience (P < .0001).
Impact:
- Highlights a high prevalence of hearing loss among professional divers, even without noise exposure.
- Suggests that factors beyond noise, such as age and cumulative diving experience, contribute to sensorineural hearing loss.
- Informs the need for specialized audiological monitoring and potentially revised safety protocols for professional divers.
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The human ear can perceive an extensive range of sound intensity, necessitating the use of the logarithmic scale to define a physical quantity—the intensity level. It is a ratio of two intensities and hence a...
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The LOD indicates the presence or absence...
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01:06Echo
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