[Occupational hearing loss: new principles of certification].

Noise-induced hearing loss, together with presbyacusis, are the most prevalent causes of the functional impairment of the inner ear in an adult population. The authors discuss briefly the epidemiological, diagnostic and medical certification issues. The paper is focused on the new legislation that brings about considerable changes in the procedure of medical certification of noise-induced hearing loss. Both the definition of the pathology and new principles for its certification as an occupational disease were intended to harmonize Polish regulations with respective legislation of the EU countries.