title: The impact of noise exposure on workers in Mobile Support Units.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the presence of auditory and nonauditory symptoms in professionals working in ambulances.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a descriptive cross-sectional study with a convenience sample. Thirty-six professionals working in mobile support units, including drivers and nursing technicians from two private urgency and emergency services in the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, participated in the study. A questionnaire containing 17 multiple-choice questions was applied to the participants with questions regarding life history and occupation, family history of hearing loss, use of medications, and presence of auditory and nonauditory symptoms, among others. The professionals answered the questionnaire individually, in their workplaces, and received help from the researcher to understand the content of questions, if needed. Data were statistically analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 16.0.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most reported auditory symptoms were tinnitus, intolerance to intense sounds, and ear plenitude. The most reported nonauditory symptoms were irritability, headache, talking difficulties in noisy environments, and sleep alterations. A difference (p≤0.05) was observed when the relation between self-perception of drivers and nursing technicians on hearing acuity, presence of tinnitus, irritability, and communication difficulty was analyzed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Auditory and nonauditory symptoms are frequent in workers from mobile support units. An association between the worker's symptoms and the performed function was also observed. The results indicate a need of developing preventive actions regarding general health, which are aimed at the preservation of hearing health and quality of life of these professionals.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rafaella Cristina
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Speech Language Pathology and Audiology Department, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Juliana Nunes
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alessandra Terra Vasconcelos
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Rabelo
authors.affiliation: Structure Engineering Department, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Max de Castro
authors.initials: Mde C
authors.lastname: Magalhães
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000488:Allied Health Personnel; D000552:Ambulances; D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009623:Noise, Occupational; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000145:classification; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires