Balaji Rajeshwar, Rajasegaran Rajalakshmi, John Nitin Ashok, Venkatappa Umadevi Sajja
Student, Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute , Puducherry, India .
Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute , Puducherry, India .
J Clin Diagn Res. 2016 Feb;10(2):CC08-10. doi: 10.7860/JCDR/2016/17361.7199. Epub 2016 Feb 1.
Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL), a major heath concern due to constant exposure to loud noise is on the rising trend in today's world. The bus drivers are more vulnerable to the auditory and non-auditory ill effects of noise pollution.
The aim of this study was to assess and compare the hearing level, blood pressure and peak expiratory flow rate of bus drivers and individuals employed in office jobs.
Fifty male bus drivers aged 30-50 years and fifty males of the same group employed in office jobs were recruited as the test and control groups respectively. The hearing level of the individuals in both the groups was assessed using the Hearing Deterioration Index (HDI). The lung function and cardiovascular status of the study participants were assessed by measuring their Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR) and Blood Pressure (BP) respectively. The mean HDI, PEFR and BP values of both the groups were compared using the unpaired t-test and the extent of correlation between HDI, service years, exposure level, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was determined using Pearson correlation coefficient test.
HDI, SBP and DBP were significantly higher among the bus drivers when compared to the controls. However, there was no significant difference in the PEFR values between the test and the control groups. There was a highly significant positive correlation between HDI and service years and exposure level. Similarly, there was a significant positive correlation between exposure level and systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Prolonged exposure to high intensity of sound results in deterioration of hearing capacity and increase in blood pressure among the bus drivers.
噪声性听力损失（NIHL）是当今世界一个主要的健康问题，由于持续暴露于高强度噪声，其呈上升趋势。公交车司机更容易受到噪声污染的听觉和非听觉不良影响。
本研究的目的是评估和比较公交车司机与从事办公室工作的人员的听力水平、血压和呼气峰值流速。
分别招募50名年龄在30至50岁之间的男性公交车司机和50名从事办公室工作的同组男性作为试验组和对照组。使用听力恶化指数（HDI）评估两组人员的听力水平。分别通过测量呼气峰值流速（PEFR）和血压（BP）来评估研究参与者的肺功能和心血管状况。使用非配对t检验比较两组的平均HDI、PEFR和BP值，并使用Pearson相关系数检验确定HDI、工作年限、暴露水平、收缩压（SBP）和舒张压（DBP）之间的相关程度。
与对照组相比，公交车司机的HDI、SBP和DBP显著更高。然而，试验组和对照组之间的PEFR值没有显著差异。HDI与工作年限和暴露水平之间存在高度显著的正相关。同样，暴露水平与收缩压和舒张压之间存在显著的正相关。
长期暴露于高强度声音会导致公交车司机听力能力下降和血压升高。
