On objective criteria for hearing impairment and hearing disability

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Occupational Health
• Otolaryngology

Background:

• Noise-induced hearing loss is a significant health concern.
• Assessing hearing impairment and disability involves subjective and objective measures.
• The distinction between hearing impairment, disability, and handicap requires clear criteria.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between subjective hearing disorder symptoms and objective hearing impairment/disability criteria.
• To evaluate the sensitivity and reliability of different objective criteria for hearing impairment and disability.
• To inform the definition of hearing handicap in cases of noise-induced hearing loss.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 77 male subjects with noise-induced permanent hearing loss was studied.
• Subjects reported subjective hearing disability symptoms.
• Objective hearing impairment and disability were assessed using pure-tone auditory thresholds at 0.5, 1, 2, 3, and 4 kHz.

Main Results:

• 52% of subjects reported a subjective impression of hearing disability.
• Average pure-tone auditory thresholds (≥20 dB HL) proved to be a sensitive and reliable objective criterion.
• This criterion effectively identified hearing impairment and disability.

Conclusions:

• Pure-tone auditory thresholds are a robust objective measure for hearing impairment and disability.
• Current objective measures may not fully capture the concept of hearing handicap.
• More sophisticated audiological testing is suggested for evaluating hearing disability as a handicap.