HIGH FREQUENCY TONAL AUDIOMETRY: ITS IMPORTANCE IN THE EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF HEARING LOSS INDUCED BY RECREATIONAL NOISE IN YOUTH POPULATION

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Currently, there has been an increase in interest in examining frequencies above 8000 Hz through high frequency audiometry (HFA). Its usefulness has been proposed to study the adverse effects of noise-induced hearing loss (NHI). Nowadays, young people are increasingly exposed to high sound levels of music presented in different situations in their daily lives.

OBJECTIVE

Determine the importance of performing an HFA for the early diagnosis of recreational NHI in a young population.

METHODOLOGY

Bibliographic compilation with a total of 20 scientific investigations on the topic, using the ResearchGate, Sciencedirect, PubMed, Medline and SciELO databases, and complementing the research with scientific documents and journals.

RESULTS

The HFA have recorded significant increases in hearing thresholds starting at 10 kHz in all research works. At the same time, prolonged use of personal listening devices and at high volumes has been recorded in the young population.

DISCUSSION

Young people have listening habits that are harmful to their hearing. The increase in hearing thresholds at high frequencies in the population studied is an early indicator of subclinical cochlear damage, which is why it is important to study high frequencies to perform early detection of the pathology.

CONCLUSION

HFA is an effective method for the early diagnosis of recreational HIR in a young population. The importance of protocolizing this evaluation as a control auditory study is highlighted, assessing risk factors and history of exposure to recreational noise.