Hearing Loss amongst members of the Armed Forces – what is being done?
A long-known about problem
The risk of hearing loss amongst troops in the army and special forces has been well-known for decades. As early as 1960, a paper was written by H. Johansen entitled ‘Protection against noise-induced hearing loss in the Danish armed forces.’ Gun training, loud machinery and common combat situations can all pose a risk to one’s hearing, and people in the defence force are highly at risk.
What is the rate of noise-induced hearing loss increasing amongst troops?
In Malaysia, a recent report has revealed that 22 per cent of members of the armed forces suffered from hearing problems from 2000 to 2008, and there are similarly high statistics in Australia and the US. An army questionnaire of American soldiers returning from Iraq in 2009 found that almost one in four returned with some level of hearing damage. A 2010 article in the Sunday Mail found that the second most common condition claimed by Australian soldiers returning from Afghanistan was hearing loss, which rose by 40 per cent from 458 to 645 in the past year.
What can be done?
• More education – By implementing better education programs highlighting the risks of irreversible and preventable hearing loss, troops can gain a better understanding on important safety and preventative measures that can be taken to ensure hearing loss does not become a major problem later in life.
• Better training procedures – Most countries have guidelines and procedures which can be carried out at an individual level to try and help reduce hearing loss amongst soldiers and troops in particular. Better training with an emphasis on the importance of every individual’s health is imperative to reducing the instances of hearing loss amongst troops in the armed forces all over the world.
Hearing loss is a prevalent concern amongst individuals in the armed forces but is also a risk amongst other occupations. Environmental factors, including exposure to loud noises can cause a number of different hearing impairments including sensory neural hearing loss, mixed hearing loss or single-sided deafness. There are a number of adult and child hearing loss treatments, such as cochlear and bone conduction implants found on www.cochlear.com/sea, as well as hearing aids as well as other treatment solutions.
Learn more about deafness and the causes of hearing loss, and the various resources and that are available for individuals that are hearing impaired such as those listed on www.cochlear.com/sea.
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