A INTERFERÊNCIA DO ZUMBIDO NA QUALIDADE DE VIDA DE TRABALHADORES EXPOSTOS A RUIDO

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2007

RESUMO

Introduction: Tinnitus, independently of the hearing complaint, is a very common auditory symptom in individuals exposed to high sound pressure levels. It is still necessary to further understand the mechanisms of generation, detection and perception of tinnitus. Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the tinnitus interference in the quality of life of noise-exposed workers through the application of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). Methodology: The study population was composed of 52 individuals, from the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, exposed to noise at their jobs. Eleven of them (21,1%) are female and 41 (78,8%) are male, with average age of 29.2 years (standard deviation????). The participants answered to an initial interview and later to the Brazilian version of the questionnaire THI. The hearing evaluation was carried out in 2005 and 2006, according to criteria required by the governmental decree 19 of the Work Ministry and also recommended by the Brazilian Committee of Noise and Hearing Conservation. Results: Participants were subdivided in 2 groups: normal hearing (71%) and hearing loss (12% suggestive of noise induced hearing loss, and 17% have other hearing loss configurations). The THI results were analyzed according to the functional, emotional and catastrophic scales. As for the tinnitus interference, the functional scale was the most affected (54%). Later, an individual analysis was done and the degree of tinnitus severity was investigated. It was observed that 44 % of the participants had tinnitus classified as degree 1; 38% were classified as degree 2; 12% as degree 3 and 6% as degree 4. A significant correlation was observed between the THI total score and the scores from catastrophic, emotional and the functional scales (p<0.05). Significant correlations also occurred between the emotional scale score with the functional scale score, as well as the results of THI with health problems. The variable chronic headache was correlated with the functional scale, the emotional scale with the THI total score, sinusitis with the emotional scale; and hearing history with the total THI score (p<0.05). Conclusion: It was concluded that the THI offers important qualitative and quantitative information that can be used in corporate programs for the prevention of the effects of occupational noise and improving the quality of life of workers

ASSUNTO(S)

efeitos do zumbido perda auditiva induzida pelo ruído audição qualidade de vida distúrbios da comunicação fonoaudiologia noise effects noise efeitos do ruído ocupacional tinnitus thi perda auditiva noise perception zumbido

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