DISTORTION PRODUCT OTOACOUSTIC EMISSIONS IN NORMAL - HEARING WORKERS EXPOSED TO OCCUPATIONAL NOISE

Introduction-The otoacoustic emissions test has been highlighted by thepossibility of detecting early cochlear changes resulting from exposureto noise, not identifiedby audiometry.Objective: To evaluate the distortion product otoacoustic emissions innormal-hearing workers exposed to occupational noise.Method: This was a cross-sectionalstudy in steel mills of the Federal District, in which it was evaluated by means of productotoacoustic emissions Distortion, workers of both sexes, aged between 18 and 35 years,thresholds audibility at or below 25 dB HL without hearing impairment.Results: We foundsignificant changes in otoacoustic emissionsin both ears. In the amplitude and signal/noiseratio was observed that the higher the frequency the lower the averages found in otoacousticemissions. How often is the worst records of 6 KHz.Conclusion: The otoacoustic emissionsdistortion product in normal-hearing workers reveal cochlear changes could detect theappearance of the lesion in outer hair cells.