A previously healthy 56-year-old man arrives at the clinic with diminished hearing in both ears. He claims to have difficulties comprehending discussions in crowded places. His wife adds that they frequently disagree about the loudness of the television. The patient cannot recall when he initially detected hearing loss, but claims it has been there for at least 6 months and is worsening. He has spent the last 12 years working in a plant where he had to yell to communicate with coworkers and has seldom used hearing protection. As illustrated in the figure below, an audiogram is obtained. Which of the following is most likely abnormal in this patient?

Question

A previously healthy 56-year-old man arrives at the clinic with diminished hearing in both ears. He claims to have difficulties comprehending discussions in crowded places. His wife adds that they frequently disagree about the loudness of the television. The patient cannot recall when he initially detected hearing loss, but claims it has been there for at least 6 months and is worsening. He has spent the last 12 years working in a plant where he had to yell to communicate with coworkers and has seldom used hearing protection. As illustrated in the figure below, an audiogram is obtained.  Which of the following is most likely abnormal in this patient?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Due to continuous noise exposure, this patient suffers high-frequency hearing loss. The following processes are taken in the organ of Corti to convert mechanical sound waves into nerve impulses:
Noise-induced hearing loss is caused by damage to the stereociliated hair cells of the Corti organ. The acoustic reflex generally dampens the impact of loud noise by contracting the stapedius and tensor tympani muscles, which reduces the ossicles' response to sound. However, chronic noise exposure might induce stereocilia deformation or breakage owing to shearing pressures against the tectorial membrane. Regardless of the frequency of the sound producing the injury, high-frequency hearing is lost first.

A Previously Healthy 56-Year-Old Man Arrives at the Clinic with Diminished