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Background <p>The aim of this study was to evaluate the hearing thresholds, speech understanding abilities, and otoacoustic emissions tests of firefighters to determine the effects of occupational noise exposure on auditory health. This descriptive study consisted of 25 firefighters and 25 healthy individuals with normal hearing as the control group. Firefighters exposed to noise outside of working hours, those using ototoxic medications, or those with other health risk factors were excluded from the study. Hearing functions of all participants were assessed using pure-tone and high-frequency audiometry, speech tests, and otoacoustic emissions measurements.</p> Results <p>Firefighters' pure-tone hearing thresholds were significantly higher compared to the control group, and hearing loss was observed, particularly at high frequencies (4000&#xa0;Hz and above). In the speech test results, SRT thresholds were also found to be statistically significantly higher in the study group (p&lt;0.05). Dynamic range was found to be narrower in the study group. DPOAE and TEOAE results showed that firefighters exposed to noise at certain frequencies had significantly lower SNRs.</p> Conclusions <p>These findings support similar studies in the literature, demonstrating that long-term noise exposure has potential&#xa0;negative effects on hearing health in firefighters, particularly&#xa0;high frequencies indicate that hearing thresholds can be affected. </p>

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Noise-induced hearing loss in firefighters: an audiological evaluation

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年1月13日

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  • Nevruz Nur Bayrak,
  • Hülya Osmanoğlu,
  • Azize Arzu Köroğlu Koçyiğit,
  • Eymen Altun,
  • Veli Can Hüyüktepe

摘要

Background

The aim of this study was to evaluate the hearing thresholds, speech understanding abilities, and otoacoustic emissions tests of firefighters to determine the effects of occupational noise exposure on auditory health. This descriptive study consisted of 25 firefighters and 25 healthy individuals with normal hearing as the control group. Firefighters exposed to noise outside of working hours, those using ototoxic medications, or those with other health risk factors were excluded from the study. Hearing functions of all participants were assessed using pure-tone and high-frequency audiometry, speech tests, and otoacoustic emissions measurements.

Results

Firefighters' pure-tone hearing thresholds were significantly higher compared to the control group, and hearing loss was observed, particularly at high frequencies (4000 Hz and above). In the speech test results, SRT thresholds were also found to be statistically significantly higher in the study group (p<0.05). Dynamic range was found to be narrower in the study group. DPOAE and TEOAE results showed that firefighters exposed to noise at certain frequencies had significantly lower SNRs.

Conclusions

These findings support similar studies in the literature, demonstrating that long-term noise exposure has potential negative effects on hearing health in firefighters, particularly high frequencies indicate that hearing thresholds can be affected.