Características do zumbido em trabalhadores expostos a ruído

tinnitus is a common auditory complaint among individuals exposed to noise. aim: this paper aims to study the characteristics of tinnitus in workers exposed to noise. study design: this is a descriptive prospective study. materials and method: fifty-two individuals averaging 29 years of age were enrolled in a hearing loss prevention program at a meat processing plant. the participants were interviewed and had their hearing tested in 2005 and 2006. results: seventy-one percent of the participants were found to have normal hearing. tinnitus was present in 16% of the males and in 9% of the females. mean noise exposure length was 7 years and noise levels ranged from 86 to 91 dba (48%). bilateral tinnitus (46%) of the hissing type (40%) and moderate intensity (49%) was the most prevalent. symptoms began to be observed within one to five years after initial exposure to noise (67%) and manifested themselves in weekly episodes (41%) that bothered the patients mostly at night (34%). a significant correlation was observed between the frequency of tinnitus episodes and the noise levels to which workers were exposed. conclusion: tinnitus should be included in hearing loss prevention programs in order to more comprehensively promote occupational hearing health.