Acta Medica Medianae (Sep 2010)
EARLY DETECTION OF THYROID DISEASE IN WORKERS PROFESSIONALLY EXPOSED TO NOISE THROUGH PREVENTIVE MEDICAL CHECK-UPS
Abstract
The aim of the study was to test the influence of noise on the occurrence of thyroid disease. A group of examinees included the noise-exposed workers (300) who work in the production halls and the control group (50) doing administrative jobs in the office. The testing was performed by the service of occupational medicine, within regular control and periodic check-ups of the noise-exposed group and health systematic examinations of the control group. Some laboratory analyses of the thyroid hormone were used for the purpose of this study. The percentage of those with an increased thyroid activity in the control group is 2%, while in the group of workers exposed to noise it equals 6,8%. In the control group, the total number of those with a decreased thyroid function is 0,85% and 4,85% in the noise-exposed group. In the control group, the total number of workers with the changed thyroid function is 2,85%, while in the group exposed to noise, the total number of workers with the changed thyroid function is 11,65%. By comparing the number of workers having disturbances in the thyroid function from the control group to those from the noise-exposed group who have hearing nerve damage, it can be noticed that there is no statistically significant difference. There were 21 examinees that had subjective health complaints with the levels of hormones increased; 15 examinees had subjective health complaints while the levels of hormones were decreased, and 77 examinees had subjective health complaints with the levels of hormones within the normal range. The largest number of workers with a changed thyroid function had between 10 and 20 years of service. After analyzing the results, obtained in both control and noise-exposed groups, the conclusion was that the number of workers having problems with the thyroid activity is larger in the group exposed to noise in relation to the workers from the control group. These values are in correlation with the level of noise at the working place.