COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL NOISE IMPACT ON HEARING THRESH HOLD LEVEL IN MINING AND NON MINING WORKERS USING PURE TONE AUDIOMETRY (PTA) AT A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL, UDAIPUR (RAJASTHAN)

Shiwani Mathur*, Ashok L. Bajentri and Vipul Mathur

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a significant health concern, particularly in industries with prolonged exposure to high noise level. Long term exposure to excessive noise can lead to a gradual and irreversible shift in hearing threshold, impacting workers` quality of life and productivity. The present study aims to conduct a comparative assessment of hearing threshold levels in mining and non mining workers using PTA. The objective includes assessing the impact of work duration and noise exposure levels hearing threshold shifts. Material and Methods: The present study was conducted in the Department of Physiology in collaboration with Department of otorhinology, Pacific Institute of Medical Sciences Umarda, Udaipur. This is an observational analytical study which is conducted to assessment and compares the impact of occupational noise on hearing threshold level in rural and urban population. Study population includes mining workers of Udaipur and well-matched normal individual between the ages of 18 to 50 years. The subjects were classified in 2 groups, study group (N = 200 workers of mining factory, who are continuously associated with this profession since one year), control group (N=200 normal individuals, who are never exposed to any kind of occupational noise). Results: In present study, evaluated 400 participants, with 200 individuals each in the miner (case) and non-miner (control) groups on the basis of inclusion and exclusion criteria. This study observed that, analysis of hearing threshold in control group mild hearing loss (26–40 dB HL) was the most prevalent, affecting 98 participants in the right ear and 116 participants in the left ear. Moderate hearing loss (41–55 dB HL) was reported in 57 participants for the right ear and 32 participants for the left ear. No cases of severe or profound hearing loss were recorded in either ear. The differences between ears were statistically significant (p = 0.01). Conclusion: The comparative assessment of hearing threshold levels between mining and non mining workers underscores significant impact of occupational noise exposure on auditory health. Mining workers experience greater hearing threshold shift, particularly at higher frequencies, with severity increasing with years of exposure. These finding highlight the urgent need for improved occupational safety measures, regular audiometric screenings and stricter enforcement of hearing conservation programs to protect workers from irreversible hearing loss.

Keywords: Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL), Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA), Mining workers, Hearing Threshold levels.