[The hearing function and vegetative reactions in airport technicians using individual hearing protectors]

Area of Science:

• Occupational health
• Audiology
• Noise-induced hearing loss

Background:

• Airport technical personnel face significant noise exposure during aircraft maintenance.
• Occupational hearing loss is a prevalent concern in aviation industry workers.
• Existing hearing protection devices may not offer sufficient protection against complex noise environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate hearing function in airport technical personnel.
• To assess the effectiveness of multicomponent anti-noise hearing protectors.
• To investigate the extra-aural effects of noise on cardiac rhythm variability.

Main Methods:

• Tonal threshold audiometry conducted before and after work shifts.
• Cardiac rhythm variability analysis to assess autonomic nervous system response.
• Comparison between a control group (ordinary headsets) and a study group (multi-insert hearing protectors).

Main Results:

• Elevated initial hearing thresholds at 4 and 8 kHz (up to 70 and 60 dB) correlated with work experience duration.
• Temporary threshold shifts and increased sympathetic nervous system activity observed only in the control group.
• Study group using multicomponent protectors showed no significant temporary threshold shifts or sympathetic activation.

Conclusions:

• Multicomponent hearing protectors are highly effective in mitigating noise exposure risks.
• These devices significantly reduce the incidence of temporary threshold shifts.
• Effective hearing protection is crucial for maintaining auditory health in aviation personnel.