[Diagnostics on noise-induced hearing loss]

Occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) may qualify to compensation and must be distinguished from the ski slope hearing loss (SKI) which is a hereditary type of hearing loss. By combining the NIHL and presbyacusis tables of ISO 1999 it was concluded that in a hearing loss caused solely by noise and ageing the median threshold at 2 kHz is never poorer than 35 dB, and that the ratio between the actual 3 kHz threshold and the average 2-4 kHz threshold does not exceed 1.3. Thus, the audiometric characteristics of the 2-3 kHz segment can distinguish between NIHL and SKI.