Medical Today

Prevention

One preventive measure is to wear earplugs when operating loud machinery or spending extended periods in such noisy environments as rock concerts.

Prolonged exposure to noises of 90 decibels (about as loud as a running blender) or higher can cause permanent hearing loss and tinnitus.

In some cases a change of occupation may be advisable; a recent British study found that as many as 266,000 men and 84,000 women in the United Kingdom between the ages of 35 and 64 suffer from tinnitus resulting from work-related noise.

Definition

Tinnitus is a condition where the patient hears ringing, buzzing, or other sounds without an external cause. Patients may experience tinnitus in one or both ears or in the head.

Description

Tinnitus affects as many as 40 million adults in the United States. It is defined as either objective or subjective.

In objective tinnitus, the doctor can hear the sounds as well as the patient. Objective tinnitus is typically caused by tumors, turbulent blood flow through malformed vessels, or by rhythmic muscular spasms.

Definition

Asbestosis is chronic, progressive inflammation of the lung. It is not contagious.

Description

Asbestosis is a consequence of prolonged exposure to large quantities of asbestos, a material once widely used in construction, insulation, and manufacturing. When asbestos is inhaled, fibers penetrate the breathing passages and irritate, fill, inflame, and scar lung tissue. In advanced asbestosis,, the lungs shrink, stiffen, and become honeycombed (riddled with tiny holes).