ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the health status of workers exposed to noise in a brewery in Beijing and to analyze the relationship between hearing loss and blood pressure. Methods A total of 949 noise-exposed workers in a brewery who participated in occupational health examination were selected as the investigation subjects. A survey was conducted to investigate the pure tone hearing threshold and abnormal blood pressure of the workers with different characteristics, and to analyze the relationship between the two. Results Among the noise-exposed workers, the detection rates of hearing abnormality, hypertension, and increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure were 73.55%, 52.37%, 43.84% and 46.47%, respectively. The detection rates of hearing abnormality, indicators of hypertension, high frequency hearing threshold abnormality and increased binaural high frequency hearing threshold on average in males were higher than those in females (P 0.05), the detection rates of other hearing abnormality, indicators of hypertension, speech frequency hearing threshold abnormality, high frequency hearing threshold abnormality，increased binaural high frequency hearing threshold on average and the weighted value of the better ear's hearing threshold all increased or had an increasing trend with the increase of age or working years (P< 0.05). The detection rates of hypertension in the groups with high frequency hearing threshold abnormality and increased binaural high frequency hearing threshold on average were higher than those in the normal group (P＜0.05). Conclusion The noise-exposed workers in the brewery have hearing impairment, which is related to the occurrence of hypertension. It is recommended to strengthen the publicity and education on noise protection and take protective measures to reduce the occurrence of occupational noise injury.
ABSTRACT
Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture plus Chinese herbs in treating sensorineural hearing loss.Method Eighty patients with sensorineural hearing loss were randomized into a treatment group and a control group, 40 cases in each group. The control group was intervened by conventional medication, while the treatment group by acupuncture in addition to the intervention given to the control group. The two groups were intervened once a day, 30 days as a treatment course. The serum interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6, soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) levels and pure tone hearing threshold value were observed before and after consecutive 2 treatment courses, and the clinical efficacies in the two groups were compared.Result The serum levels of IL-2, IL-6 and sIL-2R and pure tone hearing threshold value were significantly changed after the treatment in the two groups (P<0.05). There were significant differences in the serum IL-2, IL-6, sIL-2R levels and pure tone hearing threshold value between the two groups after the treatment (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 94.6% in the treatment group versus 84.2% in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05).Conclusion Acupuncture plus Chinese herbs is an effective approach in treating sensorineural hearing loss.
ABSTRACT
Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture in treating subjective tinnitus.Method Seventy subjective tinnitus patients were randomized into a treatment group and a control group, 35 cases in each group. The control group was intervened by conventional medication, while the treatment group was by acupuncture in addition to the medication given to the control. The serum zinc level, copper level, and pure-tone hearing threshold were observed before and after intervention, and the clinical efficacies were compared.Result After intervention, the serum zinc and copper levels, and pure-tone hearing threshold were significantly changed in both groups (P<0.05). The serum zinc and copper levels, and pure-tone hearing threshold of the treatment group were significantly different from that of the control group after intervention (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 93.8% in the treatment group versus 87.9% in the control group, and there was a significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05).Conclusion Acupuncture plus medication is an effective way in treating subjective tinnitus.