ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Wearing a face mask is a simple way to slow the virus transmission during the current Covid-19-pandemic. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of a face mask, worn by the speaker, on the speech intelligibility of normal hearing children and adolescents. DESIGN: Using the Freiburg monosyllabic test for sound field audiometry in silence and with background noise (+25 dB speech-to-noise-ratio (SNR)), this study tested the speech reception of 40 children and adolescents, aged 10 to 18. The speaker was shown on a screen either wearing or not wearing a face mask, according to the test arrangement. RESULTS: The combination of a speaker wearing a face mask with background noise showed a distinct impairment of speech intelligibility whereas these two factors had no significant impact on their own. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study could help to improve the quality of future decision-making processes about the usage of instruments to halt the spread of covid-19-pandemic. Furthermore, the results could be taken as baseline for comparison with vulnerable parts of society like hearing- impaired children and adults.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Masks , Speech Intelligibility , Speech Perception , Humans , Female , Child , Adult , Adolescent , COVID-19/prevention & control , Masks/adverse effects , AudiometryABSTRACT
CONCLUSION: In addition to functional ameliorations we have shown that septoplasty creates a long-lasting improvement in quality of life in patients with nasal septal deviation. OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to evaluate whether nasal septal surgery alters patients' quality of life. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This 7-year retrospective study was undertaken in an otolaryngology center. A total of 600 patients who underwent septoplasty with or without turbinectomy in the past 7 years for the indication of septal deviation, were mailed a questionnaire to assess their quality of life after surgical intervention. The questionnaire with 24 items was summarized into 7 subscales (overall medical state, nasal symptoms, accompanying symptoms, sleep, practical problems, emotions and social life). A visual analog scale was provided to measure the patients' general feelings related to their nasal disease. RESULTS: In all, 285 patients (47.5%) responded. Analysis of the questionnaire showed an improvement in all disease-specific subgroups.
