High Prevalence of Hearing Loss and Middle Ear Dysfunction in Chennai Fishermen, Suggests Study

Fishermen face significant auditory risks from mechanized engine noise and diving-induced barotrauma. To address a regional clinical gap, C. Manjari and colleagues investigated the correlation between these occupational exposures and auditory outcomes among Chennai’s maritime workers.

Therefore, the cross-sectional study evaluated 284 male fishermen in Chennai (ages 20–60) using pure tone audiometry and tympanometry. Hearing loss was clinically defined as a pure tone average >25 dB HL across the 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz frequencies. To isolate occupational impact, researchers utilized Chi-square analysis and excluded participants with pre-existing non-occupational auditory conditions.

• High Impairment Prevalence: The study confirmed that 24.6% of fishermen suffered from measurable hearing loss, with a significant 20% also showing signs of middle ear dysfunction.

• Vessel-Related Risks: Researchers found that the use of mechanized and motorized vessels was significantly associated with auditory decline, pointing to engine noise as a primary environmental hazard.

• Impact of Experience and Age: Individuals over 40 years of age or those with more than 15 years of fishing experience showed a statistically higher susceptibility to permanent hearing shifts.

• Critical Exposure Thresholds: Daily noise exposure exceeding 12 hours was identified as a major risk factor for impaired hearing, suggesting a dose-response relationship between work hours and auditory damage.

• Independent Health Factors: Interestingly, no significant clinical association was found between hearing loss and either smoking status or diving activities within this specific cohort.

The results suggest that the intersection of prolonged noise exposure and advanced age creates a substantial health burden, with approximately one in four fishermen experiencing clinically relevant hearing deficits. These findings emphasize that the current occupational environment for Chennai fishermen necessitates the rapid implementation of targeted hearing conservation programs and regular clinical screenings.

Thus, the study concludes clinicians working in coastal regions should prioritize routine auditory evaluations for older maritime workers to facilitate early detection and management of noise-induced hearing loss.

While the study provides a robust snapshot of auditory health in this population, the cross-sectional design limits long-term causal tracking, suggesting that future research should focus on longitudinal monitoring of auditory health across various maritime sectors to better understand the progression of these occupational disorders.

Reference

Manjari, C., Namasivaya Navin, R. B., Prabakaran, S., Balaji, D., Gowthame, K., Muthukumar, R., Rajasekaran, S., & Sarath Kumar, B. (2026). Exploring the Waves and the Ears: Middle Ear Function and Hearing Among Fishermen in Coastal Region of Chennai, India. Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, 78, 2629–2635