The Institute of Medicine carried out a study mandated by Congress and sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide an assessment of several issues related to noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus associated with service in the Armed Forces since World War II. The resulting book, Noise and Military Service: Implications for Hearing Loss and Tinnitus, presents findings on the presence of hazardous noise in military settings, levels of noise exposure necessary to cause hearing loss or tinnitus, risk factors for noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus, the timing of the effects of noise exposure on hearing, and the adequacy of military hearing conservation programs and audiometric testing. The book stresses the importance of conducting hearing tests (audiograms) at the beginning and end of military service for all military personnel and recommends several steps aimed at improving the military services' prevention of and surveillance for hearing loss and tinnitus. The book also identifies research needs, emphasizing topics specifically related to military service.
The surprising science of hearing and the remarkable technologies that can help us hear better Our sense of hearing makes it easy to connect with the world and the people around us. The human system for processing sound is a biological marvel, an intricate assembly of delicate membranes, bones, receptor cells, and neurons. Yet many people take their ears for granted, abusing them with loud restaurants, rock concerts, and Q-tips. And then, eventually, most of us start to go deaf. Millions of Americans suffer from hearing loss. Faced with the cost and stigma of hearing aids, the natural human tendency is to do nothing and hope for the best, usually while pretending that nothing is wrong. In Volume Control, David Owen argues this inaction comes with a huge social cost. He demystifies the science of hearing while encouraging readers to get the treatment they need for hearing loss and protect the hearing they still have. Hearing aids are rapidly improving and becoming more versatile. Inexpensive high-tech substitutes are increasingly available, making it possible for more of us to boost our weakening ears without bankrupting ourselves. Relatively soon, physicians may be able to reverse losses that have always been considered irreversible. Even the insistent buzz of tinnitus may soon yield to relatively simple treatments and techniques. With wit and clarity, Owen explores the incredible possibilities of technologically assisted hearing. And he proves that ears, whether they're working or not, are endlessly interesting.
According to the National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health, approximately 30 million employees are exposed to dangerous noise levels at work and an additional nine million workers are at risk for hearing loss from other ototoxins such as metals and solvents. Millions of children and young adults are also at risk for noise-induced hearing loss in non-occupational settings. Hearing Conservation: In Occupational, Recreational, Education, and Home Settingsis the most current text to cover all major topics related to noise-induced hearing loss, including the military, construction, manufacturing, mining, transportation, the music industry, the home environment, education settings, and recreational arenas. From the underlying principles of hearing loss to audiometric testing procedures to assessment of hearing conservation programs, this book is packed with information for audiologists and other members of the interdisciplinary team who provide hearing conservation services for at-risk groups.Special Features: Many examples of audiometric data, that enhance understanding of all types of hearing impairment, test procedures, and standard threshold shift calculations Protocols for comprehensive audiological, tinnitus, and auditory processing evaluations Clinical pathways and follow-up action steps when a standard threshold shift is confirmed, including decisions about worker compensation in occupational settings Assessment of the effectiveness of a wide range of hearing conservation programs and correction of deficiencies, along with training, educational, and motivational techniques The most current information about hearing protection and enhancement devices, related regulations, selection and fitting, and training workers in how to use them for optimal results A set of discussion questions at the end of each chapter that stimulate review and classroom dialogue Comprehensive in scope, easily accessible, and useful to both clinicians and investigators,Hearing Conservation: In Occupational, Recreational, Education, and Home Settings is essential for audiologists, occupational hearing conservationists, otolaryngologists, internists, occupational nurses, noise control engineers, and any other practitioner who plays a role in developing, implementing, and maintaining hearing conservation measures. It is also an excellent text for graduate level audiology courses in hearing conservation.
The overview and details of the common condition of tinnitus are covered for audiology, speech and language science students. Beginning with epidemiology, including classification, incidence in various populations and etiology, the volume also addresses the psychological profile of tinnitus patients. In addition the effects of tinnitus on lifestyle, employment, relationships and communicaiton are included. Briefings cover insomnia, physiological and neural mechanisms, evaluation, management, surgery and childhood tinnitus. Therapy and treatment modalities are presented in detail.
This book is about how you listen and what you hear, about how to have a dialogue with the sounds around you. Marcia Jenneth Epstein gives readers the impetus and the tools to understand the sounds and noise that define their daily lives in this groundbreaking interdisciplinary study of how auditory stimuli impact both individuals and communities. Epstein employs scientific and sociological perspectives to examine noise in multiple contexts: as a threat to health and peace of mind, as a motivator for social cohesion, as a potent form of communication and expression of power. She draws on a massive base of specialist literature from fields as diverse as nursing and neuroscience, sociology and sound studies, acoustic ecology and urban planning, engineering, anthropology, and musicology, among others, synthesizing and explaining these findings to evaluate the ubiquitous effects of sound in everyday life. Epstein investigates speech and music as well as noise and explores their physical and cultural dimensions. Ultimately she argues for an engaged public dialogue on sound, built on a shared foundation of critical listening, and provides the understanding for all of us to speak and be heard in such a discussion. Sound and Noise is a timely evaluation of the noise that surrounds us, how we hear it, and what we can do about it.
Exposure to hazardous noise can have negative implications for both servicemember health and readiness. Moreover, in FY 2009, some of the most common impairments for veterans receiving Veterans Affairs (VA) disability benefits were hearing related, as annual payments for such conditions exceeded $1.1 billion. This report examined DoD efforts to prevent hearing loss, specifically: (1) how well the DoD and armed services identify and mitigate hazardous noise; (2) how well the military evaluates hearing conservation program performance; and (3) the status of DoD's Hearing Center of Excellence and the extent that DoD and VA are sharing information to inform this and other efforts. Includes recommend. Charts and tables. This is a print on demand report.
Now in its fourth edition, Occupational Hearing Loss delivers a complete overview of the hazards of occupational noise exposure, causes of hearing loss, testing of hearing, criteria to distinguish occupational hearing loss, and more. The book emphasizes medical and societal factors in its coverage of topics such as audiometry and who should do it, evoked response testing, and conductive and sensorineural hearing loss, as well as mixed, central, and functional hearing loss. Brought together by experienced practitioners and written by experts with depth and experience in the field, this book is written clearly in language accessible to non-medical personnel. No other book available has the breadth, practical detail, or comprehensive scope. A unique compendium of information about specific problems of occupational hearing loss and hearing conservation, the book is both a balanced reference and an easy-to-use guide to protecting the hearing of industrial workers. This title is an ideal read for any student or professional occupational physician, audiologist, health and safety engineer, industrial hygienist, and otolaryngologist.
