Extended high frequency audiometry in users of personal listening devices

Purpose: Noise exposure leads to high frequency hearing loss. Use of Personal Listening Devices may lead to decline in high frequency hearing sensitivity because. of prolonged exposure to these devices at high volume. This study explores the changes in hearing thresholds by Extended High Frequency audiometry in users of personal listening devices. Material and method: A descriptive, hospital based observational study was performed with total 100 subjects in age group of 15-30 years. Subjects were divided in two groups consisting of 30 subjects (Group A) with no history of Personal Listening Devices use and (Group B) having 70 subjects with history of use of Personal Listening Devices. Conventional pure tone audiometry with extended high frequency audiometry was performed in all the subjects. Result: Significant differences in hearing thresholds of Personal Listening Device users were seen at high frequencies (3 kHz, 4 kHz and 6 kHz) and extended high frequencies (9 kHz, 10 kHz, 11 kHz, 13 kHz, 14 kHz, 15 kHz and 16 kHz) with p value < 0.05. Elevated hearing thresholds were observed in personal listening devices users which were directly proportional to volume and duration of usage. Conclusion: In present study no significant changes were noted in hearing thresholds in PLD users before 5 years of PLD use. However, hearing thresholds were significantly increased at 3 kHz, 10 kHz, 13 kHz in PLD users having > 5 years usage at high volume. Thus, it can be reasonably concluded that extended high frequencies can be used for early detection of NIHL in PLD users. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc All rights reserved.