Skip Navigation
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Use this QR code to view the newest version of this document
Use this QR code to view the newest version of this document

Your Environment. Your Health.

Publication Detail

Title: Tinnitus and Self-Perceived Hearing Handicap in Firefighters: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Authors: Jamesdaniel, Samson; Elhage, Kareem G; Rosati, Rita; Ghosh, Samiran; Arnetz, Bengt; Blessman, James

Published In Int J Environ Res Public Health, (2019 10 17)

Abstract: Firefighters are susceptible to auditory dysfunction due to long-term exposure to noise from sirens, air horns, equipment, and tools used in forcible entry, ventilation, and extrication. In addition, they are exposed to ototoxic chemicals, particularly, during overhaul operations. Studies indicate that 40% of firefighters have hearing loss in the noise-sensitive frequencies of 4 and 6 kHz. Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is often accompanied by tinnitus, which is characterized by ringing noise in the ears. The presence of phantom sounds can adversely affect the performance of firefighters. However, there has been limited research conducted on the prevalence of tinnitus in firefighters. We enrolled firefighters from Michigan, with at least 5 years of continuous service. The hearing handicap inventory for adults (HHIA) was used to determine the difficulty in hearing perceived by the firefighters and the tinnitus functional index (TFI) was used to determine the severity of tinnitus. Self-perceived hearing handicap was reported by 36% of the participants, while tinnitus was reported by 48% of the participants. The TFI survey indicated that 31% perceived tinnitus as a problem. More importantly, self-perceived hearing handicap was significantly associated with the incidence of tinnitus in firefighters, suggesting a potential link between occupational exposure to ototraumatic agents and tinnitus in firefighters.

PubMed ID: 31627382 Exiting the NIEHS site

MeSH Terms: Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Data Collection; Female; Firefighters*/psychology; Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced/epidemiology; Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced/pathology*; Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced/psychology; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Occupational Exposure*; Self Concept*; Tinnitus/epidemiology; Tinnitus/pathology*; Tinnitus/psychology

Back
to Top