Hearing damage due to occupational noise exposure in aircraft maintenance technicians in Latacunga, Ecuador
Abstract
Hearing loss is a chronic condition prevalent in North America, surpassing diabetes and cancer, and is critical in aeronautical environments. The observational, retrospective, cross-sectional, and descriptive study aimed to determine the relationship between occupational noise exposure and hearing damage in aviation maintenance technicians in Latacunga by analyzing the audiometry tests and medical records of 50 male workers between 2017 and 2022. The results showed that 38% had mild bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (peaking in 2019), 8% had moderate bilateral hearing loss (2017-2018), and 38% had mild bilateral acoustic trauma (2018). During the pandemic lockdown (2020-2022), normal hearing rose to 88%-99%. The damage was most prevalent in the 31-40 age group and in those with more than 9 years of service. It was confirmed that hearing damage is directly related to the degree of exposure to occupational noise.
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