Counter S A, Klareskov B
Neurology Department, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.
Scand Audiol. 1990;19(3):149-60. doi: 10.3109/01050399009070766.
Audiological tests were conducted on 188 Polar Eskimos (75 males and 43 females) in small, remote, nonindustrialized settlements of Northwest Greenland. Most males of this small Eskimo tribe hunt regularly for food using rifles and shotguns. The means of the pure tone hearing thresholds indicated that 77% of the males in the population sample had a hearing loss (greater than 25 dB HL) in the high frequency range (above 2,000 Hz), in one or both ears. Also, 73% of the males had bilateral hearing losses (greater than 25 dB HL), and 73% had hearing thresholds greater than or equal to dB in one or both ears. A high frequency hearing loss was found in 46% of the males of the younger age groups (less than or equal to 40 years), mainly in the 3,000 to 8,000 Hz range, with the mean loss gradually extending to 2,000 and 1,000 Hz, and increasing in severity with age. The mean pure tone thresholds of 6- to 60-year-old female Polar Eskimos (who do not hunt with firearms) were generally within normal limits over the entire audiometric frequency range for the younger groups, and increased with age to the mild hearing loss range. Among the females, 35% had a hearing loss (less than 25dB HL) in the high frequency range (above 2,000 Hz) in one or both ears, and 21% had thresholds of greater than or equal to 50 dB in one or both ears. Conductive hearing losses in the low frequency range were not widespread among the males or females of this survey. The findings of this study suggest: (1) The high incidence of age-related hearing loss among the Polar Eskimo males is the result of frequent exposure to high intensity, impulse firearm noise, which is the major source of noise for this population, in an otherwise "noise-free" environment. (2) The primary noise-induced permanent threshold shift among Polar Eskimo hunters occurs in the age range of 10-40 years, and increases slowly thereafter, mainly as a result of continual noise exposure and presbyacusis. It is recommended that ear protectors and a comprehensive hearing conservation/rehabilitation program be provided for the Polar Eskimo population at once in order to prevent further hearing impairment and to rehabilitate those persons presently suffering from hearing loss.
在格陵兰西北部偏远、非工业化的小定居点，对188名极地因纽特人（75名男性和43名女性）进行了听力测试。这个因纽特小部落的大多数男性经常使用步枪和猎枪打猎获取食物。纯音听力阈值的均值表明，在该人群样本中，77%的男性在高频范围（2000Hz以上）单耳或双耳存在听力损失（大于25dB HL）。此外，73%的男性存在双侧听力损失（大于25dB HL），73%的男性单耳或双耳听力阈值大于或等于dB。在较年轻年龄组（小于或等于40岁）的男性中，46%存在高频听力损失，主要在3000至8000Hz范围，平均损失逐渐扩展至2000Hz和1000Hz，并随年龄增长而加重。6至60岁的极地因纽特女性（她们不使用火器打猎）的纯音阈值均值在较年轻组的整个听力测试频率范围内通常处于正常范围，并随年龄增长至轻度听力损失范围。在女性中，35%在高频范围（2000Hz以上）单耳或双耳存在听力损失（小于25dB HL），21%单耳或双耳阈值大于或等于50dB。在本次调查的男性和女性中，低频范围的传导性听力损失并不普遍。本研究结果表明：（1）极地因纽特男性中与年龄相关的听力损失发生率高是由于在其他方面“无噪音”的环境中频繁暴露于高强度、脉冲式火器噪音，这是该人群的主要噪音来源。（2）极地因纽特猎人中主要的噪音诱发永久性阈值偏移发生在10至40岁年龄范围，此后缓慢增加，主要是由于持续的噪音暴露和老年性耳聋。建议立即为极地因纽特人群提供耳塞和全面的听力保护/康复计划，以防止进一步的听力损害，并使目前患有听力损失的人康复。
