Hair Color and Hearing Loss: A Survey in a Group of Military Men

• Main Authors: Rahman Movahhed, Ebrahim Mahdavi, Mehdi Bakhshaee, Amir Hossain Ghazizadeh
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Mashhad University of Medical Sciences 2011-01-01
• Series: Iranian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology
• Subjects: Hair color; Hearing Loss; Noise-induced; Pigmentation; Disease Susceptibility
• Online Access: http://ijorl.mums.ac.ir/?_action=showPDF&article=193&_ob=70b86125bcfe14e2c427a024e1f898be&fileName=full_text.pdf
• ISSN: 2251-7251; 2251-726X

Introduction: It has been shown that low levels of pigmentation increase susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss in humans. For this reason, white populations develop more pronounced noise- induced hearing loss in comparison to black populations. Similarly, blue-eyed individuals exhibit greater temporary threshold shift than brown-eyed subjects; still, no strong correlation has been verified between the lightness of hair color and susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss. This study was performed with the purpose of investigating a possible association between hair color and the degree of hearing loss due to firing noise. Study Design: Prospective observational study. Setting: A tertiary referral center with an accredited otorhinolaryngology-head & neck surgery department.   Materials and Methods: A total of 57 military recruits were divided into two groups; light-colored (blond and light brown) and dark-colored hair (dark brown and black). The two groups were matched based on history of firing noise exposure (number of rounds; type of weapon) and the level of hearing loss at 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8 kHz sound frequencies was compared between them.   Results: The results showed that the mean level of hearing loss of light-colored hair individuals (20.5±17dB) was significantly greater than that of dark-haired subjects (13.5±11dB), (P=0.023).   Conclusion: The results indicate that hair color (blond versus black) can be used as an index for predicting susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss in military environments. Therefore, based on the individual's hair color, upgraded hearing conservation programs are highly recommended.