Week 10, Fall 2007

I only saw a hearing conservation client on Tuesday, and there were no-shows :-( on Thursday. Otoscopy, tympanometry, and PT testing were normal. Because I've seen so many hearing conservation clients, I chose an article that offered some excellent information about noise exposure and hearing loss prevention.

Hearing Health & Care: The Need for Improved Hearing Loss Prevention and Hearing Conservation Practices included a great deal of prevalence and incidence statistics published prior to 2006. (It's fairly recent data, and it's a great source if you need statistics about NIHL, particularly veteran info.) One signficant statistic made reference to soldiers returning from deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq who were referred audiologists because they were exposed to acute acoustic blasts. The authors noted that 72% of those soldiers had hearing loss. Additionally, data from 2005 indicated that hearing-related compensation benefits paid to veterans exceeds 1 billion dollars each year. Thus, there is a great need for our services and for hearing conservation programs.

The authors included a chart that could be used as a counseling tool. It lists average decibel levels of common sound sources in a horizontal bar graph. It is easy to read, and it is coupled with information from OSHA. For example, maximum exposure time for unprotected ears is an average of 85 dB over an 8-hour work day. "For every 5 dB increase in noise, the exposure time should be cut in half to minimize damage." (e.g.: 90 dB = 4 hours) According to this data, common household items, like lawn mowers and leaf blowers, can only be used for 2 hours and 15 minutes, respectively, before damage occurs. Geez!!! I'm not sure about the rest of you, but I didn't realize that!

The article also offers an excellent chart that lists common ototoxic drugs. It is a good quick reference for clinical use.

All and all, the article offers a great deal of information about many types of hearing conservation, including adult and pediatric. It's a great resource -- check it out!

http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=19675880&site=ehost-live