Hearing and vestibular disorders

2019 ◽  
pp. 710-725
Author(s):  
Julian Eyears ◽  
Kristian Hutson
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Occupational Health ◽  
Health Professional ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Health Surveillance ◽  
Careful Examination ◽  
Vestibular Disorders ◽  
Surveillance Programme ◽  
Working Populations ◽  
The Impact

Hearing and vestibular disorders are prevalent in working populations and may heavily impact a worker’s ability to perform and work safely. It is frequently incumbent on the occupational health professional to assess the extent and impact of these disorders on the workplace. This is optimally executed by careful examination and assessment and using a knowledge of the conditions and treatment options. The employer may also be requested to perform a risk assessment in the workplace. The occupational health professional should have a good understanding of noise-induced hearing loss and audiometry programmes. They should also be able to assess and advise about the impact of hearing loss in the workplace and may also be required to manage a health surveillance programme.

scholarly journals Eye Health, COVID-19, and the Occupational Health Professional: Round Table

2021 ◽  
Vol 69 (8) ◽  
pp. 352-358
Author(s):  
Susan Gallagher ◽  
Jay Clasing ◽  
Edward Hall ◽  
Stephanie Hammond ◽  
Gayle Howard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Health Professional ◽  
Screen Time ◽  
Occupational Injury ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Round Table ◽  
Round Table Discussion ◽  
Eye Health ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health Risk Management

Background: Eye health has garnered increased attention since the COVID-19 pandemic. This Round Table explored the impact mask wearing, delays in eye examinations, and increased screen time have on vision and ultimately the worker. Methods: Leading experts in the areas of occupational health, risk management, eye health, and communication were identified and invited to participate in a Round Table discussion. Questions posed to experts were based on literature that addressed eye health, such as mask wearing, communication and managing expectations when accessing professional eye health appointments, and increased screen time. Findings: Experts agreed that eye health considerations must be in place. These considerations should address not only clinical care of the patient but ways to protect workers from occupational injury associated with the eye. Conclusion/Application to practice: The occupational health professional is a key resource for assessment and training that pertains to eye health.

Epilepsy

2019 ◽  
pp. 540-561
Author(s):  
Ian Brown ◽  
Martin C. Prevett
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Secondary Prevention ◽  
Health Professional ◽  
Antiepileptic Drugs ◽  
Work Performance ◽  
Alcohol And Drugs ◽  
Support Organizations ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Driving Licence Regulations

This chapter on epilepsy reviews the epidemiology of epilepsy, including the classification of seizure types, causes of epilepsy, risks of seizure recurrence, and chances of remission, and examines the responsibility of the occupational health professional and sensible employee restrictions. It reviews primary and secondary prevention of epilepsy in the workplace and the impact of alcohol and drugs. It also considers the effect of antiepileptic drugs and other co-morbidities on work performance and special work problems, including disclosure of epilepsy, accidents, absence records, and employment practice. The chapter ends with a review of the medical services available, opportunities for sheltered work, and epilepsy support organizations, along with a brief discussion on relevant legislation and the driving licence regulations.

scholarly journals Occupational noise induced hearing loss in the mining sector in South Africa: Perspectives from occupational health practitioners on how mineworkers are trained

2020 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nomfundo F. Moroe
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Occupational Health ◽  
Mining Industry ◽  
Education And Training ◽  
Noise Induced Hearing Loss ◽  
Occupational Noise ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Health Practitioners ◽  
The Impact ◽  
And Training

The aim of this study was to explore the perspectives of occupational health practitioners (OHPs) regarding education and training of mineworkers on occupational noise induced hearing loss (ONIHL) and its impact on mineworkers’ health. Qualitative, in-depth telephonic and face-to-face interviews were conducted with 16 OHPs. Purposive and snowball sampling was utilized to recruit participants. Data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Three themes emerged from the data: seeing is believing, not my department, barriers and facilitators to raising awareness (with two subthemes -blame it on the language and level of education, and compensation pay-outs). Superficially, OHPs believe that mineworkers are aware of the impact of noise health, however, the OHPs are not knowledgeable on how the mineworkers are educated on ONIHL and its latent consequences. Furthermore, language, low levels of education and literacy, as well as financial constraints are factors found to affect education and training of the mineworkers about the risks of ONIHL. If the mining industry is committed in eliminating ONIHL, they should prioritize health literacy, and mines need to have an effective awareness raising plan in place at every mine. This plan should consider diversity of the workforce, including linguistic as well as educational level diversity.

scholarly journals Occupational Noise Induced Hearing Loss in the Mining Sector in South Africa: How Are Mineworkers Trained—Perspective from Occupational Health Personnels

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nomfundo Moroe
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Occupational Health ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Noise Induced Hearing Loss ◽  
Occupational Noise ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Impact ◽  
And Training

The aim of this study was to explore perspectives of occupation health personnels (OHPs) regarding education and training of mineworkers on occupational noise induced hearing loss (ONIHL) and its impact on mineworkers’ hearing. Qualitative, in-depth telephonic and face-to-face interviews were conducted with 16 OHPs comprising representatives from the state, employer and labour as well as audiologists and occupational health hygienists.  Purposive and snowball sampling were utilized to recruit participants. Data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Findings revealed that mineworkers have a superficial awareness and knowledge of the impact of noise on their hearing and health. Moreover, OHPs are not knowledgeable on how mineworkers are educated on ONIHL and its latent consequences. Furthermore, language, low levels of education and literacy as well as the financial constraints were factors that had a negative impact on raising awareness and training mineworkers. There is a need to prioritize health literacy among mineworkers. Additionally, audiologists need to play an active role in educating mineworkers about the effects of excessive exposure to noise. There is a need to take into account literacy levels and language barriers in planning training material for mineworkers.

The Impact of Minimal to Mild Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Adults

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (6) ◽  
pp. 55-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina M. Roup
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Pure Tone ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Normal Hearing ◽  
Pure Tone Audiogram ◽  
Hearing Ability ◽  
Hearing Handicap ◽  
Mild Hearing Loss ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

The relationship between the pure-tone audiogram and the categorization of normal hearing or a mild hearing loss fails to account for other important non-audiometric factors that impact hearing ability for approximately one-third of adults. In order to obtain a complete hearing profile of our patients who present with normal hearing or a mild hearing loss, it is necessary to consider more than simply the results of the pure-tone audiogram. Both subjective hearing handicap via questionnaire and suprathreshold auditory measures (especially in background noise) have been shown to be sensitive to deficits not captured by the pure-tone audiogram. Viable treatment options with demonstrated benefit, such as mild-gain amplification, should be considered for this population.

The Impact of Subjective and Objective Hearing Loss on Cognition and Memory in Older Adults

2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 49-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvonne Rogalski ◽  
Amy Rominger
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Reading Aloud ◽  
Cognitive Testing ◽  
Professional Collaboration ◽  
Cognitive Screening ◽  
Speech Language Pathologist ◽  
Text Passage ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Audiologic Evaluation

For this exploratory cross-disciplinary study, a speech-language pathologist and an audiologist collaborated to investigate the effects of objective and subjective hearing loss on cognition and memory in 11 older adults without hearing loss (OAs), 6 older adults with unaided hearing loss (HLOAs), and 16 young adults (YAs). All participants received cognitive testing and a complete audiologic evaluation including a subjective questionnaire about perceived hearing difficulty. Memory testing involved listening to or reading aloud a text passage then verbally recalling the information. Key findings revealed that objective hearing loss and subjective hearing loss were correlated and both were associated with a cognitive screening test. Potential clinical implications are discussed and include a need for more cross-professional collaboration in assessing older adults with hearing loss.

Surgery for Lung Cancer and the Consequences for the Swallow

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (13) ◽  
pp. 162-168
Author(s):  
Pippa Hales ◽  
Corinne Mossey-Gaston
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Vocal Cord Palsy ◽  
Subsequent Treatment ◽  
Physiological Reserve ◽  
Palliative Phase ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Swallow Function

Lung cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers across Northern America and Europe. Treatment options offered are dependent on the type of cancer, the location of the tumor, the staging, and the overall health of the person. When surgery for lung cancer is offered, difficulty swallowing is a potential complication that can have several influencing factors. Surgical interaction with the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) can lead to unilateral vocal cord palsy, altering swallow function and safety. Understanding whether the RLN has been preserved, damaged, or sacrificed is integral to understanding the effect on the swallow and the subsequent treatment options available. There is also the risk of post-surgical reduction of physiological reserve, which can reduce the strength and function of the swallow in addition to any surgery specific complications. As lung cancer has a limited prognosis, the clinician must also factor in the palliative phase, as this can further increase the burden of an already compromised swallow. By understanding the surgery and the implications this may have for the swallow, there is the potential to reduce the impact of post-surgical complications and so improve quality of life (QOL) for people with lung cancer.

The impact of hearing loss

ORL ro ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-65
Author(s):  
Mădălina Georgescu ◽  
Violeta Necula ◽  
Sebastian Cozma
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Hard Of Hearing ◽  
Hearing Impaired ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Health Politics ◽  
Universal Newborn Hearing Screening ◽  
Newborn Hearing ◽  
Impaired Person ◽  
The Impact

Hearing loss represents a frequently met sensorial handicap, which has a major and complex impact not only on the hearing-impaired person, but also on his family and society. The large number of hard-of-hearing persons justifies the acknowledgement of hearing loss as a public health issue, which oblige to appropriate health politics, to offer each hearing-impaired person health services like those in Europe. These can be obtained through: appropriate legislation for mandatory universal newborn hearing screening; national program for follow-up of hearing-impaired children up to school age; national register of hard-of-hearing persons; smooth access to rehabilitation methods; appropriate number of audiologists, trained for health services at European standards, trained through public programs of education in the field of audiology.  

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