Do face masks affect the way we hear?

Aim: The aim of the study was to assess whether wearing a face mask behind the ears has an effect on the understanding of speech and the perception of surrounding sounds. Materials and methods: Auditory perception was assessed using verbal noise audiometry in two clinical conditions: without a face mask and with a face mask. To assess auditory perception ability, two parameters were measured: word recognition score (WRS) and sound intensity at maximum WRS. Results: Without wearing face masks, the maximum WRS values for the study group ranged from 75% to 100%, with 52% of respondents achieving a WRS of 100%. The highest WRS for the subjects wearing masks ranged from 80% to 100%, with 32% of subjects achieving a WRS of 100%. Conclusions: Wearing face masks does not change speech recognition scores. This may indicate a greater role of psycho-sociological aspects of hearing difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic.