[Hearing disability in relation to audiometric threshold values: hypothesis on the determination of the onset of hearing loss].
BACKGROUND
The term auditory disability (AD) means the presence of auditory symptoms due to hearing loss. Until now the audiometric threshold cut-off between the presence or absence of AD was not clear.


OBJECTIVE
In this study we attempted to define the value of audiometric threshold that could be considered as the limit between the presence or absence of weakness of auditory function, considered as the threshold as the 95th percentile of subjects that did not report AD.


METHODS
The study group consisted of 1641 males, 891 normally hearing and 750 affected by noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) Each subject was submitted to a questionnaire specifically created in order to determine the presence of AD.


RESULTS
Statistical analysis confirmed the reliability of answers to items. AD was present in 577 subjects, not all affected by NIHL. Audiometric threshold and age correlated significatively with the degree of AD.


CONCLUSIONS
The results obtained allowed the audiometric threshold values to be determined at the 95th percentile of subjects who did not report AD, in relation to the average of frequencies normally used in hearing loss evaluation.
Albera
R
R
Dipartimento di Fisiopatologia Clinica dell'Università di Torino, II Cattedra di Otorinolaringoiatria. ralbera@libero.it
Beatrice
F
F
Romano
C
C
Coggiola
M
M
Bosia
S
S
Vergnano
P
P
Luccoli
L
L
Schindler
A
A
Argentero
P
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged