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The table below provides an overview of the risk factors for hearing loss.
|
|
Risk |
Evidence |
Comments |
|
Personal factors |
|
|
|
|
Age |
high |
high |
High age is strongly related to hearing loss |
|
Male sex |
moderate |
high |
Men lose more hearing than women |
|
Hereditary conditions |
moderate |
high |
Explains a great part of the individual variation in hearing loss |
|
Socioeconomic factors |
low |
medium |
Low social class, income and education related to reduced hearing |
|
Ethnicity |
low |
medium |
White Caucasians lose more hearing than Afro-Americans |
|
Health factors |
|
|
|
|
Ear disease |
moderate |
high |
|
|
Cardiovascular disease |
low risk |
low |
|
|
Hypertension |
low |
low |
|
|
Diabetes |
low |
low |
|
|
Smoking |
low |
low |
|
|
Cholesterol |
uncertain risk |
low |
|
|
Triglycerides |
uncertain risk |
low |
|
|
Occupations |
|
|
|
|
Industrial workers |
moderate |
medium |
Depending on noise exposure level and use of protection |
|
Shipyard workers |
moderate |
medium |
|
|
Construction workers |
moderate |
medium |
|
|
Offshore workers |
low |
low |
|
|
Professional drivers |
low |
medium |
|
|
Fire fighters |
low |
medium |
|
|
Military workers |
moderate |
medium |
|
|
Civil aviation workers |
low |
medium |
|
|
Railway workers |
low |
medium |
|
|
Farmers |
moderate |
medium |
|
|
Musicians |
low |
medium |
|
|
Kindergarten employees |
low |
low |
Probably too low noise exposure |
|
Noise exposure |
|
|
|
|
Continuous noise |
low/ high |
high |
Daily noise exposure levels of >90dB = high risk Daily noise exposure levels of <85dB = lower risk |
|
Impulse noise |
high |
high |
|
|
Gunfire |
moderate |
high |
|
|
Leisure-time noise |
low |
medium |
Probably of minor importance at a group level |
|
Hearing protection |
reduced |
medium |
|
|
Other exposures |
|
|
|
|
Vibration |
low |
low |
Vibration may increase the NIHL |
|
Chemicals |
low |
low |
Styrene. CS2 toluene, lead, mercury and CO |
|
Medication |
low/high |
high |
Cisplatin, aminoglycosides |
Originally published: 2016
Reviewed: October 2023
Next review date: October 2025
Reference and notes
This guidance was reviewed in October 2023. No changes were made.
Table adapted from - Lie et al (2015), p.16. Occupational noise exposure and hearing: a systematic review. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. DOI 10.1007/s00420-015-1083-5. The changes include reformatting and replacing symbols for level of risk and evidence with words. The term severe risk has also been replaced with high risk for a UK audience. The systematic review is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The licence can be viewed here http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. The original source can be found here.
