High frequency hearing loss in the elderly: effect of age and noise exposure in an Italian group.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the effect of age and noise on high frequency hearing thresholds in an Italian population aged 70 years and older, in order to investigate the interaction between presbycusis and noise exposure.

METHODS

We compared 460 subjects: 367 affected by presbycusis alone (204 women and 163 men) and 93 affected by presbycusis and noise exposure (eight women and 85 men). Pure tone average hearing thresholds, for each ear, were compared between groups, and between sexes and ages within groups.

RESULTS

A slight threshold difference was found between the two groups at 4 kHz. After adjusting for age and gender, this difference was found to be related only to differing patient age. Men's and women's thresholds differed significantly in both groups, especially at high frequencies, at which threshold deterioration was worse in men than women.

CONCLUSION

The threshold differences between patients with presbycusis with and without noise exposure were limited. Larger studies are needed to assess the relative effects of ageing and noise exposure on hearing thresholds.