scholarly journals Sudden and Asymmetric Hearing Loss Among Active Duty Service Members: Underscoring the Importance of Active Screening

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M Sommerfeldt ◽  
John P Marinelli ◽  
Samuel A Spear
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Facial Nerve ◽  
Noise Exposure ◽  
Sudden Hearing Loss ◽  
Active Duty ◽  
Service Members ◽  
Oral Steroid ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Asymmetric Hearing Loss ◽  
Retrocochlear Pathology

ABSTRACT Military personnel are at increased risk of asymmetric hearing loss secondary to noise exposure. This report illustrates the importance of expeditiously evaluating for retrocochlear pathology even in young active duty service members with asymmetric or sudden hearing loss. A 36-year-old male presented with right-sided sudden hearing loss and dizziness. Audiometry revealed profound mid-to-high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss in the right ear. A 10-day course of oral steroid therapy and two intratympanic steroid injections were unsuccessful in restoring hearing. MRI revealed a 4.2 cm contrast-enhancing cerebellopontine angle tumor, consistent with a vestibular schwannoma (VS). Microsurgical resection utilizing a retrosigmoid craniotomy approach was performed with near-total resection of the tumor and preservation of the facial nerve but not the cochlear nerve. Despite preservation of the facial nerve, progression of post-operative facial weakness required gold weight placement to prevent exposure keratopathy. The patient had recovered partial function in all facial nerve branches at last follow-up. In light of the rising global incidence of VS, any asymmetric or sudden hearing loss in military service members should be evaluated with audiometry and referral to otolaryngology for workup of retrocochlear pathology.

scholarly journals Shallow Water Diving-Associated Alveolar Hemorrhage in an Active Duty Sailor: A Case Report

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brannon L Inman ◽  
Rachel E Bridwell ◽  
Amber Cibrario ◽  
Sarah Goss ◽  
Joshua J Oliver
Keyword(s):  
Case Report ◽  
Lung Injury ◽  
Active Duty ◽  
Service Members ◽  
Breath Hold ◽  
Common Complication ◽  
Special Operations ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
History Of ◽  
And Function

ABSTRACT Breath-hold diving is a common practice as a part of military dive training. An association between prior lung injury and a propensity for lung barotrauma may have the potential to impact mission readiness for combat divers, Pararescue, Combat Controllers, Army Engineer divers, and various units in Naval Special Warfare and Special Operations. Barotrauma is a common complication of diving, typically occurring at depths greater than 30 m (98.4 ft). Individuals with abnormal lung anatomy or function may be at increased risk of barotrauma at shallower depths than those with healthy lungs, rendering these service members unfit for certain missions. We describe the case of a 25-year-old male, with a remote history of polytrauma and resultant pulmonary pleural adhesions, whose dive training was complicated by lung barotrauma at shallow depths. In missions or training utilizing breath-hold diving, the association with secondary alterations in lung or thoracic anatomy and function may limit which service members can safely participate.

scholarly journals O1B.4 Health effects of prenatal occupational noise exposure: a systematic review

2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. A5.3-A6
Author(s):  
Zara Ann Stokholm ◽  
Inge Brosbøl Iversen ◽  
Henrik Kolstad
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Gestational Age ◽  
Congenital Malformations ◽  
Noise Exposure ◽  
Occupational Noise ◽  
Noise Levels ◽  
Occupational Noise Exposure ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Exposure Levels

Current legislation and threshold limits for occupational noise exposure may not sufficiently account for higher vulnerability of the foetus. We conducted a systematic literature review and identified 20 relevant studies of prenatal noise exposure levels and health. Maternal tissues attenuate industrial noise by about 30 dB. The foetus responds the earliest to noise exposure from the 19th week of gestational age. There is some evidence of an increased risk of hearing loss at prenatal noise levels≥85 dBA (8 hour average) and little evidence at lower levels. Increased risks for preterm birth, small-for-gestational-age and congenital malformations are seen as single study findings at levels≥90 dBA. There is little evidence for how noise exposure may increase the risk of extra-auditive effects in the foetus. Methodological shortcomings and the scarce number of studies limit the conclusions that can be drawn. Still, we recommend pregnant women avoid working at noise levels≥85 dBA.

Intratympanic Steroid Injection for Treatment of Idiopathic Sudden Hearing Loss

2005 ◽  
Vol 133 (2) ◽  
pp. 251-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
William H. Slattery ◽  
Laurel M. Fisher ◽  
Zarina Iqbal ◽  
Rick A. Friedman ◽  
Nancy Liu
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Adverse Events ◽  
Pure Tone ◽  
Steroid Injection ◽  
Sudden Hearing Loss ◽  
Oral Steroid ◽  
Speech Discrimination ◽  
Open Label ◽  
Pure Tone Average

Objective. To conduct a clinical trial of intratympanic steroid injection for idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss in subjects who failed oral steroid therapy. Study Design and Setting. Open-label methylprednisolone injection clinical trial in a tertiary neurotologic referral center. Twenty subjects (14 males; 6 females) received 4 injections within a 2-week period (4 days apart). Hearing, dizziness/p, and tinnitus were evaluated before and after treatment. Results. There were no serious unexpected adverse events and 2 types of expected adverse events (tympanic membrane perforation, nausea after injection). No increases in dizziness or tinnitus lasting longer than 24 hours were observed after injections. One of 20 (5%) improved to near-normal hearing. In addition, there was statistically significant improvement in 4-frequency pure-tone average and speech discrimination score at 1 month after treatment. Conclusion. Four intratympanic injections of methylprednisolone improved pure-tone average or speech discrimination scores for a subset of sudden hearing loss subjects that failed to benefit from oral steroids. Significance. A clinical trial of intratympanic injections for idiopathic sudden hearing loss was successfully completed and promising results were found.

scholarly journals A functional SNP in miR-625-5p binding site of AKT2 3'UTR is associated with noise-induced hearing loss susceptibility in the Chinese population

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Long Miao ◽  
Boshen Wang ◽  
Juan Zhang ◽  
Lihong Yin ◽  
Yuepu Pu
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Binding Site ◽  
Binding Affinity ◽  
Chinese Population ◽  
Noise Exposure ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Exposure Level ◽  
Noise Induced Hearing Loss ◽  
Potential Biomarker ◽  
Increased Risk

Abstract This study aimed to explore the association of several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the AKT2 gene and noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) susceptibility and explore the potential mechanism underlying NIHL. Three SNPs (rs2304186, rs41275750 and rs76524493) were genotyped in a Chinese population which consists of 690 NIHL patients and 650 normal hearing controls. Bioinformatic analysis was conducted to predict the potential miRNA-binding site of SNPs. Cell transfection and dual-luciferase reporter assay were performed to investigate the potential molecular mechanism of SNPs involved in NIHL. The results revealed rs2304186 GT genotype (OR = 1.41; 95% CI = 1.09–1.83) and TT genotype (OR = 1.51; 95% CI = 1.08–2.10) imparted increased risk of NIHL, and the increased risk could also be found in a dominant model (OR = 1.44; 95% CI = 1.12–1.84). The stratification analysis showed that rs2304186 GT/TT conferred a higher risk for NIHL, especially in subgroups of male, age (35–45 and > 45 years), noise exposure time (> 16 years), and noise exposure level (≤ 85 and ≥ 92 dB), compared with GG genotype. In addition, the haplotype TCCTACT (rs2304186-rs41275750-rs76524493) was associated with NIHL risk (OR = 1.19; 95% CI = 1.02–1.40). Rs2304186 G allele combined with hsa-miR-625-5p mimics could significantly decrease the luciferase activity compared with T allele, indicating rs2304186 altered the binding affinity of hsa-miR-625-5p to SNP rs2304186 mutation region, thus directly targeting AKT2. In conclusion, our study provides evidence for the first time that SNP rs2304186 of AKT2 3′UTR affects NIHL susceptibility by affecting the binding affinity of has-miR-625-5p in an allele-specific manner and it may act as a potential biomarker of NIHL susceptibility.

scholarly journals Surrounded by Sound: The Impact of Tinnitus on Musicians

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (17) ◽  
pp. 9036
Author(s):  
Georgina Burns-O’Connell ◽  
David Stockdale ◽  
Oscar Cassidy ◽  
Victoria Knowles ◽  
Derek J. Hoare
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
General Population ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Noise Exposure ◽  
Population Data ◽  
Professional Musicians ◽  
Professional Musician ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Hearing Health ◽  
The Impact

AIM: To investigate the impact of tinnitus on professional musicians in the UK. BACKGROUND: Tinnitus is the experience of sound when an external source is absent, primarily associated with the ageing process, hearing loss, and noise exposure. Amongst populations exposed to industrial noise, noise exposure and noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) have been found to be the factors most associated with tinnitus. The risk of NIHL amongst professional musicians is greater than that amongst the general population, meaning they may be at increased risk of tinnitus. METHODS: Seventy-four professional musicians completed an online survey involving closed and open-ended questions, and completed the Tinnitus fuctional Index (TFI) questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis of open-ended qualitative responses were used to analyse the data. RESULTS: Three themes were generated from the analysis of the responses to the open-ended questions. These themes were: (1) the impact of tinnitus on the lives of professional musicians, (2) professional musician experience of tinnitus services, support, and hearing health and safety, and (3) the support professional musicians want. The mean global TFI score for professional musicians was 39.05, interpreted as tinnitus being a moderate problem. Comparisons with general population data revealed lower TFI scores for the TFI subscales of ‘sense of control’ and ‘intrusiveness’ for professional musicians and higher for auditory difficulties associated with tinnitus amongst professional musicians. CONCLUSION: Tinnitus can negatively impact on professional musicians’ lives. There is a need for bespoke self-help groups, awareness raising, and education to prevent tinnitus and promote hearing health among musicians.

scholarly journals Development and Initial Validation of the Lifetime Exposure to Noise and Solvents Questionnaire in U.S. Service Members and Veterans

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Susan E. Griest-Hines ◽  
Naomi F. Bramhall ◽  
Kelly M. Reavis ◽  
Sarah M. Theodoroff ◽  
James A. Henry
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Impulse Noise ◽  
Noise Exposure ◽  
Service Members ◽  
Exposure Group ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Initial Validation ◽  
Lifetime Exposure ◽  
Hearing Difficulties

Purpose A need exists to investigate the short- and long-term impact of noise exposures during and following military service on auditory health. Currently available questionnaires are limited in their ability to meet this need because of (a) inability to evaluate noise exposures beyond a limited time frame, (b) lack of consensus on scoring, (c) inability to assess impulse exposures (e.g., firearm use), (d) lack of a single questionnaire that assesses both military and nonmilitary exposures, and (e) lack of validity and reliability data. To address these limitations, the Lifetime Exposure to Noise and Solvents Questionnaire (LENS-Q) was developed. The purpose of this report is to describe the development and initial validation of the LENS-Q as a measure of self-reported noise exposure. Method Six hundred ninety participants, consisting of current Service members and recently military-separated (within about 2.5 years) Veterans, completed the LENS-Q, additional study questionnaires, and comprehensive audiometric testing. Noise exposure scores were computed from LENS-Q responses using a simple scoring algorithm that distinguishes between different cumulative levels of exposure and allows for the inclusion of both continuous and impulse noise exposures. Results The LENS-Q demonstrates good construct validity as evidenced by measures of hearing loss, tinnitus, and subjective hearing difficulties all increasing with an increase in noise exposure scores. A logistic regression, adjusting for age and sex, revealed that participants in the highest exposure group were 2.4–3.9 times more likely to experience hearing loss, 2.7–2.8 times more likely to experience tinnitus, and 3.0–3.7 times more likely to report hearing difficulties compared with individuals in the lowest exposure group. Conclusions The LENS-Q captures noise exposure over an individual's lifetime and provides an alternative scoring metric capable of representing exposure to both continuous and impulse noise. Findings suggest that the LENS-Q is a valuable tool for capturing and measuring both military and nonmilitary noise exposure. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.14582937

scholarly journals 1103 Understanding the Role of Sleep as a Risk Factor for Suicidal Ideation in Active Duty Service Members

SLEEP ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A419-A420
Author(s):  
M M Paxton Willing ◽  
T C Pickett ◽  
L L Tate ◽  
C Rhodes ◽  
T DeGraba
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
Active Duty ◽  
Service Members ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Sleep Study ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Many ◽  
Subjective Reports

Abstract Introduction Suicide is an important public health concern with many factors contributing to increased risk. Sleep is one such factor that may elevate risk, yet this association is not well understood. By identifying the strongest sleep-related predictors of suicidal ideation (SI), providers may be able to better intervene and reduce risk of suicide. Methods Data were obtained from the clinical database at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE). Patients were active duty service members, predominantly male, and with a mean age of 38. As part of standard care, patients receive a polysomnography sleep study and complete a battery of intake measures offering a comprehensive view of sleep. Individual symptoms were analyzed in an effort to understand the role of each sleep symptom within the context of the many other factors that may contribute to SI in service members. Results Of the many data points collected during polysomnography, only rapid eye movement (REM) sleep latency and minimum sleeping heart rate were related to SI. REM latency was associated with increased odds of SI, while minimum sleeping heart rate was related to decreased odds. Subjective reports of bad dreams, trauma-specific bad dreams, sleepiness, and sleep quality were related to increased odds of SI. Notably, subjective reports of sleep were associated with greater odds than objective measures. Traumatic nightmares had the greatest odds, with these patients being much more likely to have SI. Conclusion These results support the importance of considering sleep factors when evaluating SI in service members. Subjective sleep reports, specifically, appear to be particularly important, as they were associated with increased odds of SI. These findings focus on the role of individual sleep factors in increasing the odds of SI and suggest it is important to evaluate sleep in combination with comorbid conditions when conducting risk assessments. Support N/A

scholarly journals Relationship between CDH23 gene and risk of noise-induced hearing loss

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Jiao ◽  
Shanfa Yu ◽  
Guizhen Gu ◽  
Guoshun Chen ◽  
Huanling Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Noise Exposure ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Case Group ◽  
Noise Induced Hearing Loss ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Significant Relationships ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Main Effects ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Objective: To investigate the relationship between CDH23 gene and the risk of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).Methods: This was a case-control study. Noise-exposed workers worked in a steel factory in North China was recruited and been divided into two groups: the case group (BHFTA ≥40 dB) and the control group (BHFTA<25 dB). We analyzed the association among 18 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CDH23 and NIHL risk using the generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction (GMDR) method. Logistic regression was performed to analyze the main effects of SNPs and the interactions between CNE and SNPs adjusting cumulative noise exposure (CNE), smoking, drinking, physical exercise and hypertension. Results: In this study, 776 subjects of period I and 1117 subjects of period I+II were recruited. The results showed that subjects who carried the AA genotype of rs3802711possessed significantly increased risk of NIHL than those carrying GG (OR: 2.71; 95% CI:1.15, 6.39) and GA+GG (OR: 2.54; 95% CI: 1.09, 6.00) in period I, respectively. For rs11592462, subjects carrying the GG genotype showed a significantly increased risk of NIHL compared with the subjects. Significant relationships were showed between rs10999947, rs3802711, rs10762480, rs3752751, rs3752752, rs3747867, and rs11592462 for NIHL overall and various CNE strata. There was no significant association between the rs1227049 - rs3752752 - rs10999947 - rs3752751 - rs10762480 - rs3802711 - rs11592462 - rs4747195 - rs4747194 - rs10466026 haplotypes and NIHL risk. Conclusions: The genetic variation in the CDH23 gene might play an important role in determining individual susceptibility to NIHL.

Noise-Induced Autoimmune Sensorineural Hearing Loss

2003 ◽  
Vol 112 (7) ◽  
pp. 569-573 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reena Gupta ◽  
Robert T. Sataloff
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing Loss ◽  
Inner Ear ◽  
Environmental Noise ◽  
Sudden Hearing Loss ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing ◽  
Autoimmune Conditions ◽  
Inner Ear Disease ◽  
Asymmetric Hearing Loss ◽  
Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease

Typically, autoimmune sensorineural hearing loss has been described as a slowly progressive, asymmetric hearing loss that is responsive to medications traditionally used in the treatment of other autoimmune conditions. These medications include steroids and cytotoxic drugs. Inciting factors in autoimmune inner ear disease are rarely cited. We describe a case of episodic sudden hearing loss triggered consistently by environmental noise. The hearing loss was responsive to steroids at the time of each occurrence and was determined to be autoimmune. This case raises questions about the relationship between autoimmune inner ear disease and sensitivity to environmental noise that warrant further research.

scholarly journals Hearing Loss in Agricultural Workers Exposed to Pesticides and Noise

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (7) ◽  
pp. 707-718 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nattagorn Choochouy ◽  
Pornpimol Kongtip ◽  
Suttinun Chantanakul ◽  
Noppanun Nankongnab ◽  
Dusit Sujirarat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Frequency Band ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Noise Exposure ◽  
Hearing Threshold ◽  
Agricultural Workers ◽  
Agricultural Machinery ◽  
High Frequency Band ◽  
Full Cohort ◽  
Increased Risk

AbstractAgricultural workers who have concurrent exposure to pesticides and noise are at increased risk of hearing loss. We recruited 163 Thai conventional and 172 organic farmers to answer our questionnaires about personal demographics, agricultural activities, and pesticide and agricultural machinery use. This information was used to calculate the years of conventional (pesticide use) farming and the years of agricultural noise exposure, and to estimate semiquantitative metrics for pesticide exposure (cumulative intensity score-years) and cumulative noise exposure (dB(A)-years) for each conventional farmer. All participants underwent pure tone audiometric testing. The mean hearing threshold in the low-frequency band (0.5–2 kHz) and high-frequency band (3–6 kHz) were used for analysis. Years involved in conventional farming and years using agricultural machinery were associated with an increase in the average hearing threshold for the high-frequency band after controlling for age, ever exposed to industrial noise and cigarette smoking. The highest category of cumulative insecticide exposure (score-years), cumulative organophosphates exposure (score-years) and cumulative noise exposure (dB(A)-years) were also associated with an increased high-frequency band hearing threshold among conventional farmers. Results from the full cohort and the subcohort of conventional farmers support each other and the hypothesis that pesticide and noise have an additive effect on hearing, since no model interactions were significant.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document