Lifetime Noise Exposure and Its Interaction With Ageing: Effects on Audiometric Thresholds, Speech-In-Noise Perception, and Tinnitus for Palestinian Workers

Noise-induced and age-related hearing loss involve partially similar pathophysiology, but their combined effects remain poorly understood, especially in under-regulated occupational settings. This study investigated the independent and interaction effects of lifetime noise exposure and age on audiometric, speech-in-noise, and tinnitus outcomes in Palestinian workers....

Lifetime occupational noise exposure compounds age-related hearing decline for speech-in-noise and tinnitus outcomes; audiologists in occupational health settings should advocate for stronger noise regulation in under-resourced environments and prioritise early monitoring for combined noise-age effects.

Evidence from under-regulated occupational settings in low- and middle-income regions highlights a global gap in hearing conservation, reinforcing the need for international noise exposure standards and early audiological surveillance.

1. 01Study quantified the combined effect of lifetime noise exposure and ageing on hearing in Palestinian workers.
2. 02Outcomes included audiometric thresholds, speech-in-noise perception, and tinnitus prevalence.
3. 03Conducted in an under-regulated occupational context, filling a gap in global hearing research.
4. 04Interaction between noise and ageing may accelerate hearing loss beyond either factor alone.
5. 05Published in Trends in Hearing, an open-access audiology research journal.

PMID

42474197

DOI

10.1177/23312165261470234.

Journal

Trends in Hearing

Publication type

research_article

Evidence level

2b

Population

Palestinian workers with documented lifetime occupational noise exposure in under-regulated settings

Intervention

Lifetime occupational noise exposure

Comparator

Lower/no noise exposure comparator or age-stratified groups