OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of ear diseases, other otological risk factors potentially affecting hearing, and noise exposure among adults. Furthermore, subject-related factors possibly associated with hearing impairment (HI), i.e. handedness, eye color, and susceptibility to sunburn, were studied. DESIGN: A cross-sectional, unscreened, population-based, epidemiological study among adults. STUDY SAMPLE: The subjects (n = 850), aged 54-66 years, were randomly sampled from the population register. A questionnaire survey, an otological examination, and pure-tone audiometry were performed. RESULTS: Chronic middle-ear disease (both active and inactive) was the most common ear disease with a prevalence of 5.3%, while the prevalence of otosclerosis was 1.3%, and that of Ménière's disease, 0.7%. Noise exposure was reported by 46% of the subjects, and it had no effect on hearing among those with no ear disease or other otological risk factors for HI. Dark eye color and non-susceptibility to sunburn were associated with HI among noise-exposed subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Common ear diseases and other otological risk factors constitute a major part of the etiologies of HI among adults. Contrary to previous studies, noise exposure turned out to have only marginal effect on hearing among those with no otological risk factors.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of ear diseases, other otological risk factors potentially affecting hearing, and noise exposure among adults. Furthermore, subject-related factors possibly associated with hearing impairment (HI), i.e. handedness, eye color, and susceptibility to sunburn, were studied. DESIGN: A cross-sectional, unscreened, population-based, epidemiological study among adults. STUDY SAMPLE: The subjects (n = 850), aged 54-66 years, were randomly sampled from the population register. A questionnaire survey, an otological examination, and pure-tone audiometry were performed. RESULTS: Chronic middle-ear disease (both active and inactive) was the most common ear disease with a prevalence of 5.3%, while the prevalence of otosclerosis was 1.3%, and that of Ménière's disease, 0.7%. Noise exposure was reported by 46% of the subjects, and it had no effect on hearing among those with no ear disease or other otological risk factors for HI. Dark eye color and non-susceptibility to sunburn were associated with HI among noise-exposed subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Common ear diseases and other otological risk factors constitute a major part of the etiologies of HI among adults. Contrary to previous studies, noise exposure turned out to have only marginal effect on hearing among those with no otological risk factors.
Authors: Loris Fichera; Neal P Dillon; Dongqing Zhang; Isuru S Godage; Michael A Siebold; Bryan I Hartley; Jack H Noble; Paul T Russell; Robert F Labadie; Robert J Webster Journal: IEEE Robot Autom Lett Date: 2017-02-14
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Authors: Dan Bagger-Sjöbäck; Karin Strömbäck; Malou Hultcrantz; Georgios Papatziamos; Henrik Smeds; Niklas Danckwardt-Lillieström; Bo Tideholm; Ann Johansson; Sten Hellström; Pierre Hakizimana; Anders Fridberger Journal: Sci Rep Date: 2015-08-21 Impact factor: 4.379
Authors: Dan Bagger-Sjöbäck; Karin Strömbäck; Pierre Hakizimana; Jan Plue; Christina Larsson; Malou Hultcrantz; Georgios Papatziamos; Henrik Smeds; Niklas Danckwardt-Lillieström; Sten Hellström; Ann Johansson; Bo Tideholm; Anders Fridberger Journal: PLoS One Date: 2015-03-12 Impact factor: 3.240