Certain Non-auditory Physiological Responses to Noises

The non-auditory physiological effects of extended exposure of pilots to high intensity noise were investigated. The health records of 22 professional pilots (FAA) were examined for recorded measurements of heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, serum cholesterol, and glucose. These data were compared to records of the same measurements from 29 non-flying FAA personnel of the same age, social and economic status as the pilots. The yearly means for each parameter were analyzed for changes with time, within the same population, and for differences between the two study groups. Audiometric histories were tabulated and compared, and noise levels inside aircraft were determined. Although it was demonstrated that FAA pilots were exposed to high occupational noise levels there was no indication that their exposure produced any significant non-auditory physiological response.