English summary: HEARING AND AUDITORY SYMPTOMS IN YOUNG MEN BEGINNING THEIR MILITARY SERVICE

Background

This study first examines the findings of hearing examinations of Finnish conscripts before their military service period and then compares them to earlier respective findings.

Methods

Hearing thresholds were determined for each conscript in a sound chamber. Simultaneously the conscripts completed a questionnaire which documented their subjective symptoms and noise exposure. Noise exposure was calculated from the information given in the questionnaire using the energy principle.

Results

The hearing threshold of young men has gradually risen during the last twenty years and is now almost 20% for conscripts beginning military service (more than 20 dB elevation at certain frequencies). In addition, 8% of the conscripts suffered from tinnitus related to exposure to noise. Milder symptoms were present in more than 2/3 of the evaluated persons. Young adult men are exposed to several leisure time noise sources and spend much time with these noisy hobbies, which explains the above results at least to some extent.