Estado auditivo de los maestros mecánicos y afines del gremio 5 de noviembre, Cuenca periodo 2023-2024

Abstract

Background: According to the WHO, around 1.5 billion people have hearing problems. Hearing loss caused by prolonged exposure to high levels of noise is a public health problem that affects people that works within the industrial area. General objective: Determine the hearing status of mechanical and related workers of the 5 de Noviembre union in the period 2023-2024. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out. The universe was made up of 50 mechanical and related workers, data collection was carried out using the audiological form and the hearing status of the participants was assessed using liminal tonal audiometry, data analysis was carried out with SPSS version 21 software. Results: From 50 users, 5 had normal hearing (10.0%) and 45 had some type of hearing loss, with moderate bilateral sensorineural hearing loss being the most prevalent (26%). In summary: Most of the study population presented hearing alterations caused by continuous exposure to noise levels; the machinery used in the workshops exceeds the 85-dB allowed according to the WHO. The need to create regulations that guarantee the occupational health of these workers and reduce the risk of suffering from hearing loss is evident.