Hearing Loss Protection
Loud noise can damage your hearing, but there are things you can do to
protect yourself from noise induced hearing loss.
July
2004 - Some common foods may help prevent NIHL!
February
2006 - Hearing Protection Devices offer sophisticated
protection against potentially damaging noise.
September 2006 -
Redesigned Howard Leight Airsoft Earplugs Offer
Improved Fit, Comfort and Protection
December 2006 - Know
the 7 elements of effective hearing protection
March
2007 - Nutrients May Prevent Noise Induced
Hearing Loss
May 2007 - Government
Study Validates Sonomax's SonoCustom(R) Hearing Protection Devices
May 2007 - Sensear
- letting you clearly hear speech in a noisy workplace
June
2007 - Air breathing’ system claims to reduce risk
of hearing loss
July 2007 -
OTO Medicine develops treatment for noise-induced
hearing loss
July 2007 - Like an Earplug in a Pill
July 2007 - Radio Earmuff Improves Worker Safety,
Motivation
October 2007 - Premier
Micronutrient Corporation (PMC) Releases Hearing Health Supplement to
Address Multiple Conditions
February 2008 - Etymotic Research Introduces
Personal Noise Dosimeter
February 2008 - New Alliance to Combat Hearing
Loss
March 2008 - Zebrafish Provide Useful Screening Tool
for Genes, Drugs That Protect Against Hearing Loss
March 2008 -
Female sex hormone protects against hearing loss
March 2008 -
In-Ear Monitors Protect Hearing and Allow
Wearer to Hear
Mar 2008 - Hearing Pill to Undergo More Clinical
Trials
Apr 2008 - Top 5 Ways to Protect Your Hearing
June 2008 - Chemical Combo May Prevent Hearing Loss
October 2008 -
Pharmacological Prevention of
Noise-Induced Hearing Loss - New Research Findings
November 2008 - Can Vitamins and Minerals Prevent
Hearing Loss?
December 2008 - Can Vitamins Prevent Hearing Loss?
January 2009 -
How the Ear Protects Your Hearing
February 2009 - Vitamin supplements may protect
against noise-induced hearing loss
July 2009 - How to select the best earplugs for you
August 2009 - EPA Proposes Update Of Hearing Protection
Device Rules
October 2009 - Antioxidants do NOT reduce hearing loss
risk!
February 2010 - Antibiotic found to protect hearing in
mice
March 2010 - NIOSH and NHCA Present Hearing Loss
Prevention Awards
May 2010 - Stress Response System in the Ear Protects
Against Hearing Loss
September 2010 - New Norwegian Earplug Solution to a
Deafening Problem
September 2010 - Breakthrough Towards Drug for Hearing
Loss
September 2010 - dB Logic Debuts Volume Limiting
Headphones
December 2010 - Army band members must protect
their hearing
January 2011 - Ear Plugs Block Out Explosions, Let In Speech
February 2011 - Otonomy's OTO-104 Demonstrates Hearing
Loss Protection and Hearing Recovery in Preclinical Studies
March 2011 - Hearing Protection Device Also Amplifies
Sounds You Want to Hear
March 2011 - Stereo Earmuffs Combine Hearing Protection
with High-Fidelity Sound Quality
May 2011 - The Tiny Lens That Could Stop Hearing Loss from
Earbuds
May 2011 - dB Logic Headphones Limit Loudness!
May 2011 - A Different Look at Noise Exposure, Hearing Loss, and Time Limits
June 2011 - Drug to Prevent Hearing Loss in Clinical Trial
August 2011 - Earplugs Allow Conversation and Protect
from Loud Noise
August 2011 - Researchers Receive Award for Program to
Protect from Noise at Work
October 2011 - Miley Cyrus and Starkey Hearing
Foundation promote hearing protection
January 2012 - Research may lead to deafness prevention
More on this and related
topics
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December
2006
Using
proactive terms in your safety program like hearing loss prevention and
hearing conservation is a great way to increase awareness of this
important topic at your company. That was just one tip from the speakers
at a recent BLR audio conference on hearing protection. Although
documenting an occupational hearing injury on the OSHA Form 300 is
required, it is not a hearing conservation measure. An effective,
compliant program has several elements. The speakers discussed these
elements of a successful hearing loss prevention program. Full
Story
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May
2007
This
clever technology protects workers from damaging ambient noise levels
while still allowing them to clearly communicate in plain speech.
Sensear's earmuff and earplug systems promote easy, clear communication in
environments where ambient noise is above 85 decibels. Hearing damage is
an extremely common consequence of working in high-noise environments. In
many countries, workers are obliged by workplace law to wear hearing
protection to combat the damage exposure can cause. Of course, this is
rendered much less effective when workers have to pull their earmuffs off
to talk to each other on the factory floor or answer a mobile phone.
Full Story
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June 2007
Vijay Sabre Safety Ltd, a manufacturer of fire safety
and emergency rescue equipment, is set to launch an ‘air-breathing’
machine that claims to reduce the risk of hearing loss for people working
in noisy environments. The prescribed use of the machine, branded Carbogen,
and carrying a mixture of 95% of oxygen and the rest carbon dioxide, is
for 10 minutes before workers enter noisy workplaces such as steel mills,
power plants and engine rooms of ships. The promised result: reduced
stress and avoidance of temporary deafness, caused by exposure to noise
levels of 85 decibels, typical for a factory floor. Long-term exposure to
such noise can eventually lead to deafness. Full
Storyl
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July 2007
Hearing loss is extremely common, but Ann Arbor-based
OTO Medicine http://otomedicine.com is focused on making it less so. Founded
in 2006 by former Pfizer employees, the company is currently seeking funding
to run clinical trials and is looking for a CEO. Vice president Peter Boxer
expects that both objectives will be achieved within three months.
Boxer explains the focus of their company is preventing
hearing loss. "We're not going to restore hearing loss. What our product is
designed to do is to prevent noise-induced hearing loss. Anybody who has
partial hearing loss is more susceptible to additional noise-induced hearing
loss."
OTO's initial target market is the military. Boxer
explains why. "They have the greatest need. The federal government estimates
that one-third of soldiers that served in Iraq and Afghanistan cannot be
redeployed because of hearing loss." He says the company plans to work
directly with the military to test their product, which is can be consumed
in pill form or as a food additive. By keeping data on how the product works
for the soldiers, Boxer hopes it will be able to be sold to the public
without an FDA disclaimer.
Boxer says Ann Arbor is "getting better" as a place to
do business, but that it falls short in two areas: CEO-level talent and
capital. "The two are very linked," he observes. "People who invest want to
see that somebody in the company has done this before, has a track record."
OTO has received a Small Business Innovation Research
Grant from the federal government. It is currently staffed by its three
founders.
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July 2007
"I have yet to come up with a real-world scenario where
I can have hearing protection and do my job," says the 42-year-old
foreign-car mechanic. Ax might soon have a more amenable option — a pill
he could take before work that would help protect his ears from noise. Ax
is one of an estimated 30 million Americans who are exposed to hazardous
levels of noise daily at work or at leisure, be it from the buzz of
leaf-blowers and landscape equipment, the jangling of construction tools,
the cacophony of a concert or the roar of a motorcycle engine. Until now,
hearing protection for such people has consisted of using barrier devices
such as earplugs or earmuffs and limiting the time a worker spends exposed
to loud noises. Recently, however, several groups have started testing
various chemicals for their safety and effectiveness at preventing
noise-induced hearing loss in people. If the tests go well and the drugs are
approved by the Food and Drug Administration, they would be the first of
their kind. Full Story
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July 2007
In efforts to improve worker motivation and overall
protection, Bilsom has extended its award winning high-visibility
capabilities to its AM/FM Radio earmuff. Eye-catching bright green earcups
and a reflective headband on the new Radio Hi-Visibility earmuffs provide
clear visibility, day or night. At the same time, workers can enhance job
satisfaction by listening to their favorite radio station or other portable
audio device. Radio Hi-Visibility earmuffs are an excellent solution for
hearing protection, worker motivation, and visibility. Bright green earcups
contrast noticeably against dark settings, especially in low lighting
situations and inclement weather. Radio Hi-Visibility's exclusive reflective
headband glows when exposed to light, increasing overall visibility and
safety on the job.
Full Story
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March 2008
The "female sex hormone" estradiol is present in
both men and women, and is generated from testosterone in men by the protein
aromatase. Estradiol plays various roles in addition to its gender-specific
ones, including having effects on the hearing (auditory) system. In a new
study, Barbara Canlon and colleagues at the Karolinska Institute in
Stockholm, Sweden, investigated the role of estradiol-binding proteins,
known as estrogen receptors, in response to auditory damage by examining
hearing loss recovery in mice with deficiencies in various estrogen
receptors. They found that mice deficient in only the estrogen receptor
ER-beta had reduced recovery from auditory trauma, and that treatment with
ER-beta-binding drugs protected mice from auditory damage. Furthermore, not
only was ER-beta found in the ears of both male and female mice, but levels
of the nerve-protecting protein BDNF were reduced in mice that lacked either
ER-beta or aromatase. The authors therefore concluded that this
identification of an auditory-protective role for the estrogen receptor
ER-beta may enable the development of new treatments for hearing loss.
Full
Story
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March 2008
What do rock stars, soldiers and factory workers all
have in common? Careers with a potential for significant hearing loss. So it
was no surprise that Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen eventually hooked up
with Donald Kleindl, a certified audio prosthologist who owns 15 hearing
clinics, including the Professional Hearing & Audiology Clinic in
Libertyville Custom fit in-ear monitors that protect hearing but also allows
the wearer to hear the mix of instruments with clarity. Used by Rick
Nielsen, guitarist from "Cheap Trick". Professional Hearing and Audiology
Clinic makes the custom device. Any sound over 75 to 80 decibels can cause
hearing loss over time. Continuous noise in the 110 to 120 decibel range is
considered a clear danger zone.
Full Story
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October 2008
Overall, we have three primary research focuses at
this time at Hough Ear Institute. One is the research already mentioned to
prevent and treat acute acoustic trauma noise-induced hearing loss. Another
area involves auditory and vestibular hair cell regeneration and that
approach involves the use of nanotechnology for targeted delivery of
therapeutics to the inner ear. The third area, which I'm not as involved in,
but is ongoing in our institute, is the middle ear mechanics research and
trying to develop a totally implantable hearing aid. So those are the three
things we're currently working on. The Office of Naval Research, the Navy,
and the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, where I previously worked when I
was in the Army, are continuing on some clinical research that was initiated
prior to my retirement, looking at a pharmacological prevention and
treatment of noise induced hearing loss in the military.
Full Story
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January 2009
Call it a natural earplug: Your ears appear to be
able to automatically turn down certain frequencies to protect your hearing,
and a new study provides more details about how this mysterious process
works. Although it's too early to know for sure, the research could lead to
drugs that protect the ear from dangerous noise, said study author Paul
Fuchs, co-director of the Center for Sensory Biology at the Institute for
Basic Biomedical Sciences at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. "We don't
really know how things work in the ear at a cellular and molecular level.
We're just starting to make those discoveries." At issue is the ear's
ability to inhibit one frequency band while leaving another intact, Fuchs
said. "Say you're in a factory where there's lots of loud, low-frequency
noise from the machinery," he explained. "It's conceivable that this could
turn down the part of the cochlea hit by low frequencies." The system is
somewhat akin to a stereo system that allows listeners to adjust the treble
and bass, Fuchs said. Research has shown that this can help protect the ear
from permanent damage caused by loud sounds, he said.
Full Story
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August 2009
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has
announced a proposed rule revision for hearing protector device (HPD)
labeling. Published August 5 in the Federal Register (Vol. 74, No. 149). the
EPA's proposal would substantially modify the testing requirements and the
methods of computing and presenting the Noise Reduction Rating (NRR), and
would also extend labeling to a wider range of electronic and
level-dependent hearing protectors for which no rating system had been
previously available.
Full Story
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January 2010
Mead Killion, chief technology officer and
audiologist at Etymotic Research, Inc., gestured to a picture of a dozen
camouflage-clad young men. "One third of this squad will come back with
hearing loss," Killion said.
He then showed off the device his company makes that
he hopes will prevent that deafness. No larger than vitamin pills, the EB15
earplugs aim to revolutionize ear protection by blocking out loud,
potentially deafening noises such as explosions, while still allowing users
to hear softer sounds such as orders from an officer or the rustle of an
approaching enemy.
The earplugs work somewhat like hearing aids, in
that they record external sounds with tiny microphones, and then replay them
directly into the ear at a different volume. However, unlike a hearing aid,
the EB15 lowers, not amplifies, the sound. In fact, the EB15 earplugs soften
sounds by as much as 15 decibels. That increases the time of safe exposure
by a factor of 32, Killion said, enough to make the earplugs useful for
anyone who works in a high-sound environment, be they soldiers, construction
workers or music venue employees.
Full story
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May 2011
You hear it all the time-your earbuds will cause
hearing loss. And while it'd be nice to shrug this off as the same old
conventional wisdom that everything fun is bad for us, it happens to be
true: Prolonged use can in fact lead to hearing loss. A clever new invention
being unveiled Friday may help keep your earbuds and your hearing-and your
audio quality-intact, without forcing you to return to an era of
Footloose-style Walkman headphones.
Full Story
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May 2011
Noise exposure and the hearing loss incurred from it
have been a concern since at least the 1940s, yet even as the years (and
legislation) have passed, it is still not understood by the majority of
people who are affected by it. Part of the confusion lies in the use of the
decibel scale; it is hard to perform the necessary calculations unless you
have either years of experience or a calculator. Therefore, a different way
of looking at noise exposure is being proposed that uses units of Pascals-squared-seconds-or
Pasques-as the limits for sound exposure (SE). Pascals are the metric unit
for pressure; 14.7 pounds per square inch equals 101,353 Pascals. This use
of SE as the metric has been suggested for day-night sound exposure near
airports, but extra benefits come from applying it to industrial noise
control.
Full Story
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January 2012
Rather than wearing hearing aids, people may soon
simply put drops in their ears to prevent the hearing damage in the first
place, if Oklahoma scientists' research progresses as expected. Two combined
compounds are preventing inner ear damage that causes hearing loss, indicate
laboratory experiments by Robert Floyd, an Oklahoma Medical Research
Foundation researcher, and Dr. Richard Kopke, a retired Army ear surgeon and
Hough Ear Institute chief executive. The compounds, 4-OHPBN nitrone and
n-acetyl-cysteine, appear to stop hearing loss caused by loud noises. "We
were able to show that if we get the combination of the compounds in about
four hours after the exposure, we can almost completely protect from hearing
loss, about 80 to 90 percent," Floyd said.
Full Story
