Bakgrund: Studier visar att hörselskador kan uppstå till följd av yttre påfrestningar så som exponering av buller och kraftiga tryckförändringar. Fallskärmshoppare exponeras för bägge dessa faktorer, vilket skulle kunna innebära en ökad risk för att utveckla hörselskador. Trots detta är området mycket sparsamt studerat. En ökad kunskap inom området medför att eventuella behov av preventiva åtgärder kan identifieras. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att undersöka förekomsten av upplevda hörselbesvär hos fallskärmshoppare, samt om det finns något samband mellan upplevda hörselbesvär och antal hopp, användning av öronproppar eller akustiska höjdvarnare. Metod: Studien genomfördes i form av en kvantitativ tvärsnittsstudie. En webbenkät skickades ut till samtliga aktiva fallskärmshoppare med registrerad e-postadress i två fallskärmsklubbar i Mellansverige. Totalt 244 fallskärmshoppare deltog i studien (svarsfrekvens 47,6 %). Resultat: Hörselrelaterade besvär i form av hörselnedsättning, tinnitus och smärta/obehag i öronen förekom hos 20-30 % av de studerade fallskärmshopparna. Det fanns däremot inga statistiskt signifikanta samband mellan upplevda hörselbesvär och antal fallskärmshopp, användning av öronproppar eller användning av akustiska höjdvarnare. Andelen som uppgav att de upplevde svårigheter att höra vad som sägs i ett samtal mellan flera personer var högre bland de studerade fallskärmshopparna jämfört med en åldersmatchad population i SCB:s befolkningsundersökning. Slutsats: Inga samband mellan antal fallskärmshopp och hörselrelaterade besvär kan ses, men resultatet tyder på att fallskärmshoppare upplever hörselnedsättning i större utsträckning jämfört med övriga befolkningen. Vidare studier krävs för att med säkerhet kunna avgöra om fallskärmshoppning innebär en risk för att utveckla hörselskador. / Background: Studies have shown that hearing loss can be caused by environmental factors like noise and changes in the pressure. Skydivers are exposed to several risk factors for hearing impairment, but there is a lack of studies investigating hearing loss among skydivers. More knowledge among the phenomena is needed to identify potential need of preventive work.  Aims: The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of self-perceived hearing symptoms among skydivers. The study also examined the relationship between self-perceived hearing symptoms and the use of earplugs and audible altimeters. Methods: The study was executed as a quantitative cross-sectional study. Webb-based questionnaires were sent out to all skydivers with registered e-mail in two skydiving clubs in Sweden. A total of 244 skydivers were studied (response rate 47.6 %) Results: Hearing symptoms such as hearing loss, tinnitus and ear pain was found in 20-30 % of the skydivers. The proportion who experienced difficulty in hearing was higher among the skydivers than an age-matched population from a SCB survey. However, no statistically significant correlations between self-perceived hearing symptoms and number of parachute jumps, use of earplugs or use of audible altimeters were found. Conclusion: No relationship between amount of skydiving and hearing symptoms could be found, but the results indicate that hearing loss is more common among skydivers compared to the general population. Further studies are required to investigate if skydivers are in risk of developing hearing loss.

This study assessed the role of otoacoustic emission screening for the early identification of noise-induced hearing loss in South African mineworkers. Transient otoacoustic emissions and distortion product otoacoustic emissions were recorded in 106 noise exposed mineworkers (212 ears) aged between 20 and 55 years, and in 17 non-exposed novice workers (34 ears) aged between 18 and 29 years. All subjects had normal hearing acuity, otoscopic examinations and immittance measurements. Four otoacoustic emission (OAE) measurements were taken per ear and repeated by a second audiologist for the evaluation of inter-test reliability. Age and number of years of noise exposure was additionally evaluated as well as the specificity and sensitivity of the tests for this population group. In general the OAEs were diminished at four KHz for both the exposed and non-exposed groups. Age was found to be the primary predictor of diminished OAE tracings. Poor inter-test reliability was obtained. These results indicate that further research is required within this population group before OAE testing can be implemented for screening for noise-induced hearing loss. / Dissertation (M (Communication Pathology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology / Unrestricted

Millions of people across the world are suffering from noise induced hearing loss (NIHL), especially under working conditions of either continuous Gaussian or non-Gaussian noise that might affect human's hearing function. Impulse noise is a typical non-Gaussian noise exposure in military and industry, and generates severe hearing loss problem. This study mainly focuses on characterization of impulse noise using digital signal analysis method and prediction of the auditory hazard of impulse noise induced hearing loss by the Auditory Hazard Assessment Algorithm for Humans (AHAAH) modeling. A digital noise exposure system has been developed to produce impulse noises with peak sound pressure level (SPL) up to 160 dB. The characterization of impulse noise generated by the system has been investigated and analyzed in both time and frequency domains. Furthermore, the effects of key parameters of impulse noise on auditory risk unit (ARU) are investigated using both simulated and experimental measured impulse noise signals in the AHAAH model. The results showed that the ARUs increased monotonically with the peak pressure (both P+ and P-) increasing. With increasing of the time duration, the ARUs increased first and then decreased, and the peak of ARUs appeared at about t = 0.2 ms (for both t+ and t-). In addition, the auditory hazard of experimental measured impulse noises signals demonstrated a monotonically increasing relationship between ARUs and system voltages.

<p>  </p> <p>Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a significant occupational health concern in the construction industry, necessitating effective hearing protection for workers. This project explores the detrimental consequences of environmental pollutants, specifically noise pollution common in construction settings. The research incorporates user interviews with construction workers and managers to identify challenges and motivations surrounding the use of hearing protection devices.</p> <p>My findings underscore the necessity of addressing pollution in the construction industry to safeguard the well-being of workers. Noise pollution emerges as a primary concern, leading to hearing loss, stress, decreased productivity, and safety hazards. The research revealed that workers grapple with obstacles, including discomfort, lack of awareness, and cost barriers, while also recognizing driving forces, including fear of hearing loss and the encouragement of supervisors. The design process involved thorough research, including a literature review, competitive analysis, and semi-structured user interviews, resulting in an advanced hearing protection device that prioritizes effective communication, cleanliness, and user comfort. The final product incorporates innovative features such as lighting indicators, a compact charging case, strategically positioned buttons, secure fit with magnets, and a range of color options. Furthermore, the accompanying application features customizable ambient sounds, performance feedback, and gamification elements.</p>

This study focused on designing a training programme for audiometricians, using the principles of instructional design. Instructional design is the continuing, systematic development of instructional specifications, utilizing researched strategies and principles to create detailed outcomes for the development, implementation, evaluation and maintenance of training programmes. An audiometrician is defined by SANS (10083:2004), as a person registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa as an audiometrician, hearing aid acoustician or someone trained in audiometry. Audiometricians are adult learners. Therefore, in addition to instructional design principles, the principles of adult learning were also incorporated in the training programme. The successful training of audiometricians may ensure that noise induced hearing loss is significantly reduced when audiometric monitoring is appropriately implemented as part of a hearing conservation programme. Training for audiometricians is critical in this process as incorrect audiometric monitoring may negatively influence the outcomes of a hearing conservation programme. This study followed a descriptive research design where the results were described in a quantitative manner. Data was collected by means of electronically mailed questionnaires. All participants were practicing audiometricians at the time of the study and were registered with the South African Society for Occupational Health Nursing. All participants had an audiometric certificate as qualification. For the analysis of data, 181 completed questionnaires were used. The results were analyzed and described in terms of the respondents’ own experience regarding audiometry; their opinions regarding the topics they have been taught in audiometry; the duration of their own training programmes and their opinions regarding a future training programme for audiometricians. Based on the results of the above analysis, the instructional design programme for audiometricians was developed. The obtained results were used to determine what the topics, content, duration, learning outcomes and learner evaluation methods should be in the development of a training programme for audiometricians. This research study developed a training programme for audiometricians in order to ensure that all future audiometricians have the necessary knowledge to perform comprehensive hearing evaluations, interpret audiometric findings and thereby assist in reducing noise induced hearing loss in the industrial sector through hearing conservation programmes. AFRIKAANS : Hierdie studie is toegespits op die ontwerp van ‘n onderrigprogram vir oudiometriste waarin die beginsels van onderrigontwerp toegepas is. Onderrigontwerp behels die deurlopende en stelselmatige ontwikkeling van onderrigspesifikasies deur gebruik te maak van nagevorsde strategieë en beginsels om gedetailleerde uitkomste vir die ontwikkeing, evaluering en onderhoud van opleidingsprogramme daar te stel. ‘n Oudiometris word gedefinieer deur wetgewing (SANS 10083:2004) as ‘n person wat geregistreer is by die Health Professions Council of South Africa as ‘n oudiometris, gehoorapparaat akoestikus of iemand wat opgelei is in oudiometrie. Oudiometriste is volwasse leerders. Om hierdie rede is nie net die beginsels van onderrigontwerp nie, maar ook die beginsels van volwasse leer in die onderrigprogram geïnkorporeer. Suksesvolle onderrig van oudiometriste kan verseker dat die voorkoms van geraas-geïnduseerde gehoorverlies verminder, mits oudiometriese monitering toepaslik as deel van ‘n program vir gehoorkonservering geïntegreer word. Opleiding vir oudiometriste is krities belangrik in hierdie proses want indien oudiometriese monitering verkeerd gedoen word, kan dit die gehoorkonserveringsprogram in totaliteit negatief beïnvloed. ‘n Beskrywende navorsingsontwerp is in hierdie studie gebruik en die resultate is kwantitatief beskryf. Data is deur middel van vraelyste wat elektronies versend is, versamel. Al die deelnemers was ten tye van die studie praktiserende oudiometriste wat by die South African Society for Occupational Health Nursing geregistreer was. Elkeen was in besit van ‘n oudiometriese sertifikaat as kwalfikasie. Vir data-ontleding is 181 voltooide vraelyste gebruik. Die data was geanaliseer en beskryf in terme van die respondente se eie ervaring ten opsigte van oudiometrie; hul mening omtrent die temas wat by hul opleiding ingesluit was; die duur van hul opleidingsprogramme en hul idees omtrent ‘n toekomstige opleidingsprogram vir oudiometriste. Die onderrigontwerp-program is op grond van die resultate van bognoemde analise ontwikkel. Die resultate wat verkry is, is gebruik om die temas, inhoud, duur, leeruitkomste en evalueringsmetodes in die ontwikkeling van ‘n opleidingsprogram vir oudiometriste te bepaal. Hierdie studie is gerig op die ontwikkeling van ‘n opleidingsprogram vir oudiometriste met die doel om te verseker dat hulle oor die nodige kennis beskik om omvattende gehoorevaluerings uit te voer, om oudiometriese bevindinge te interpreteer en daardeur, in gesondheidssorgprogramme, by te dra tot die vermindering van geraas-geïnduseerde gehoorverlies in die industriële sektor Copyright / Dissertation (MCommunication Pathology)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology / unrestricted

<div>Hearing loss hinders the communication ability of many individuals despite state-of-the-art interventions. Animal models of different hearing-loss etiologies can help improve the clinical outcomes of these interventions; however, several gaps exist. First, translational aspects of animal models are currently limited because anatomically and physiologically specific data obtained from animals are analyzed differently compared to noninvasive evoked responses that can be recorded from humans. Second, we lack a comprehensive understanding of the neural representation of everyday sounds (e.g., naturally spoken speech) in real-life settings (e.g., in background noise). This is even true at the level of the auditory nerve, which is the first bottleneck of auditory information flow to the brain and the first neural site to exhibit crucial effects of hearing-loss. </div><div><br></div><div>To address these gaps, we developed a unifying framework that allows direct comparison of invasive spike-train data and noninvasive far-field data in response to stationary and nonstationary sounds. We applied this framework to recordings from single auditory-nerve fibers and frequency-following responses from the scalp of anesthetized chinchillas with either normal hearing or noise-induced mild-moderate hearing loss in response to a speech sentence in noise. Key results for speech coding following hearing loss include: (1) coding deficits for voiced speech manifest as tonotopic distortions without a significant change in driven rate or spike-time precision, (2) linear amplification aimed at countering audiometric threshold shift is insufficient to restore neural activity for low-intensity consonants, (3) susceptibility to background noise increases as a direct result of distorted tonotopic mapping following acoustic trauma, and (4) temporal-place representation of pitch is also degraded. Finally, we developed a noninvasive metric to potentially diagnose distorted tonotopy in humans. These findings help explain the neural origins of common perceptual difficulties that listeners with hearing impairment experience, offer several insights to make hearing-aids more individualized, and highlight the importance of better clinical diagnostics and noise-reduction algorithms. </div>