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Review
. 2023 Mar 17;12(6):2347.
doi: 10.3390/jcm12062347.

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

Nirvikalpa Natarajan  1 , Shelley Batts  1 , Konstantina M Stankovic  1   2   3
Affiliations
Review

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

Nirvikalpa Natarajan et al. J Clin Med. .

Erratum in

Abstract

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is the second most common cause of sensorineural hearing loss, after age-related hearing loss, and affects approximately 5% of the world's population. NIHL is associated with substantial physical, mental, social, and economic impacts at the patient and societal levels. Stress and social isolation in patients' workplace and personal lives contribute to quality-of-life decrements which may often go undetected. The pathophysiology of NIHL is multifactorial and complex, encompassing genetic and environmental factors with substantial occupational contributions. The diagnosis and screening of NIHL are conducted by reviewing a patient's history of noise exposure, audiograms, speech-in-noise test results, and measurements of distortion product otoacoustic emissions and auditory brainstem response. Essential aspects of decreasing the burden of NIHL are prevention and early detection, such as implementation of educational and screening programs in routine primary care and specialty clinics. Additionally, current research on the pharmacological treatment of NIHL includes anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-excitatory, and anti-apoptotic agents. Although there have been substantial advances in understanding the pathophysiology of NIHL, there remain low levels of evidence for effective pharmacotherapeutic interventions. Future directions should include personalized prevention and targeted treatment strategies based on a holistic view of an individual's occupation, genetics, and pathology.

Keywords: cochlear hair cell; diagnosis; noise-induced hearing loss; prevention; review; screening; sensorineural hearing loss.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors attest they have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Examples of noise exposure levels in occupational and non-occupational settings. Data from the United States National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health [30] and the Hearing Health Foundation [31].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Anatomical structures of the inner ear impacted by NIHL. Three-panel diagram illustrating (a) cross section of gross outer, middle, and inner ear anatomy; (b) cross-sectional anatomy of the cochlea; (c) cellular-level anatomy of the sensory epithelium of the cochlea (organ of Corti). Original illustrations by Christine Gralapp and used with permission.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Mechanisms of damage in NIHL. Abbreviations: ROS, reactive oxygen species; SGN, spiral ganglion neurite. Created with BioRender (www.biorender.com; accessed on 7 February 2023).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Characteristic audiogram of an individual with NIHL. The signature pattern of hearing loss is focused on 3–4 kHz range. Made with Interactive Audiogram Plotter (https://audprof.com/aud_tools/audiogram/; accessed on 1 February 2023).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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