Status of Tympanic Membrane and Its Association With Occupational Noise in Workers of Industrial Zone Peshawar Pakistan

Introduction: The aim of the current study was to investigate the status of tympanic membranes and assessing the association with exposure to occupational noise among workers of industrial zone in Peshawar. Methods: The study used a cross-sectional Study design. The population of current study included the industrial workers working in industrial zone of Peshawar city visiting the ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) department of the Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar. The sample size of 120 was determined through Cochran's formula based on sample size calculation for proportions in the large population. Each participant had audiometric testing to ascertain their normal hearing thresholds at250,500,1000,2000,3000,4000,6000, and 8000 Hz in both ears. Using a decibel meter, a noise survey was conducted. The data was analyzed statistically through SPSS where Pearson correlation coefficient was used to access the association. Results: The environmental noise survey revealed that the noise levels in all four locations within the industrial zone frequently exceed the safety cutoff of 85 dB, with the machine room and manufacturing floor being the most hazardous. The results indicated that the worker is experiencing a progressive hearing loss, which is more severe at higher frequencies All correlation coefficients had p-values less than 0.05 (except for 8000 Hz, which is borderline), showing that the correlations were statistically significant i.e., that higher levels of noise exposure were associated with poorer hearing thresholds among industrial workers in Peshawar causing damage to the tympanic membrane. Conclusion: It was observed in the current study that high levels of occupational noise exposure were present in various parts of the industries. This was associated with a high observed prevalence of hearing threshold and tympanic membrane among workers.