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  • Cultivating Hearing Health at an Early Age

    When you think about protecting your children from illness, your thoughts likely turn to getting them vaccinated and teaching them to wash their hands often. You probably don’t think about protecting their hearing as a way to prevent serious illness, but new research suggests that you should.

    Linking Hearing and Health

    A report released in October of 2018 by the World Health Organization (WHO) makes it clear that noise and noise pollution contribute to both mental and physical illnesses, stating that excessive amounts of noise can “disturb sleep, cause cardiovascular and psycho-physiological effects, reduce performance and provoke annoyance responses and changes in social behaviour.”

    It’s true that there is no escape from the noise of traffic, trains, airplanes, wind turbines and even leisure activities like music concerts. That doesn’t mean that all hope is lost. Protecting your hearing helps you preserve it and reduces your risk of other health problems — and there are plenty of ways you can do that for yourself and for your children.

    Hearing Health for Kids

    Every baby born in Ontario after 2002 gets screened for hearing problems shortly after birth. This early screening identifies infants with hearing issues, so they can get the help they need to develop language and communication skills.

    Whether your infant’s hearing tests in the normal range or proves impaired, it’s important to protect whatever hearing ability remains. To do so, make sure noise-making toys aren’t too loud. It’s best to avoid or discard loud toys with no volume control. Although earbuds allow your child to enjoy movies, games and music without disturbing others, it’s important to limit their use and monitor their volume.

    Remember that hearing problems can develop at any time, so pay attention as your child grows. If you notice your child always turning up the television or speaking loudly, she may have a hearing issue. Listening problems can also indicate a loss of hearing. Of course, loud music and trouble listening could just mean your child has become a teenager, too, but it’s best to have their hearing checked to make sure.

    Hearing Health for Adults

    Unfortunately, fighting genetic hearing loss is sometimes a losing battle. You can, however, greatly reduce your risk of exposure to environmental causes of hearing loss if you keep your ears open to some sound advice.

    To protect yourself, consider the amount of noise produced by the equipment, vehicles, tools and appliances you purchase for use at home and at work. Many times, electric and battery-powered devices make less noise than those driven by gas or diesel engines.

    When you must use equipment on the louder end of the spectrum, use barriers and noise dampeners whenever it’s possible. This protects others who find themselves within earshot of your work area. Protect yourself, as well, by wearing disposable earplugs, earmuffs or customized hearing protection.

    Hearing Protection Choices

    Disposable earplugs are readily available and inexpensive, which makes them a good choice for many. Their small size makes them easy to carry and convenient when working in tight places where bulkier gear, like earmuffs, may be an issue.

    It does take some time, however, to mold these generic plugs to your ears, and they may irritate your ear canal if you don’t shape them properly. Some users find insertion and removal difficult, and good hygiene is a must. Disposable earplugs are just that and should never get used more than once.

    Earmuffs, too, have pros and cons. Because they’re easy to see, earmuffs are hard to misplace. They also make it easy for supervisors to ensure that employees wear them as required. It’s safe to wear earmuffs even with an ear infection, and they reduce vibration in addition to protecting hearing. Earmuffs are somewhat bulky, however, which makes them less portable than disposable earplugs and more cumbersome when working in tight spaces. You may struggle to wear earmuffs comfortably if you wear glasses, safety hats or religious head coverings while working.

    While both disposable earplugs and earmuffs have their place, custom earplugs generally work best for those frequently exposed to loud noises. Made specifically to fit your body, custom earplugs provide superior comfort and perform better than other hearing protection devices.

    The biggest objection people have to customized earplugs is their initial cost. Custom earplugs typically last three to five years, however, making them cheaper over the long term than other hearing protection solutions. Custom earplugs also improve compliance. Ear protection doesn’t work if you don’t wear it, and many of us have been guilty of removing uncomfortable hearing protection. Customized earplugs offer superior comfort, increasing the likelihood that you and your employees will actually use them and do so without complaint.

    Remember the Audiologist

    No matter what type of hearing protection you choose or how faithfully you use it, remember to have your hearing checked annually.

    Noise-induced hearing loss is usually gradual, so you may not notice it until it becomes severe. Hearing loss also occurs without pain. Although a lack of pain is typically considered a good thing, pain does indicate that you’re having a problem. Without it, you’ll have no way of knowing that you’re hearing is suffering unless you have it checked by a professional. Annual hearing tests detect even slight changes in your hearing, allowing you to adjust your hearing protection as needed.  

    If you’re still not convinced, consider what you have to lose. People affected by noise-induced hearing loss typically lose the ability to hear high frequencies first. This means that the first thing you’ll lose is the ability to hear the voices of women and children. This could mean missing out on what your daughter, wife or grandchildren have to say. As your hearing continues to erode, you could ultimately lose the ability to hear deeper male voices, too.

    Hearing loss caused by noise is permanent, but it’s also 100 percent preventable. Give your children a healthy start by monitoring and limiting their noise exposure and teaching them to protect their hearing as they grow. Protect yourself by choosing quieter tools, using the proper hearing protection and having your hearing checked every year.

    Author: Karen Vye

    Resources:
    The World Health Organization, 2018
    Alzheimer Society of Canada, 2018
    Ministry of Children and Youth Services, 2002

    Jon Burtenshaw

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  • Earplug Fit Testing Has Arrived

    New Technology Helps Prevent Noise Induced Hearing Loss Before It’s Too Late

    Did you know that many workers receive less than half of the hearing protection they should be getting from their earplugs? It’s hard to believe, but because you can’t tell if earplugs are fitting properly just by looking at the person wearing them, they may not be aware that they haven’t achieved the correct fit. There are a few reasons why this can happen:

    • Improper choice of earplugs:
      • The model chosen will not provide the right fit for the individual
      • The NRR rating is insufficient for the noise level in the work area
    • Improper use of earplugs:
      • They are not being properly worn
      • They are not being worn at all

    Regardless of the reason, an effective solution is clearly required. The fact is that once the worker develops a noise-induced hearing loss, it’s too late and permanent damage has already been done. Many people that aren’t wearing their earplugs properly simply haven’t been adequately educated. They don’t understand the health risk, why it’s in their best interest to protect themselves, and how to properly protect themselves. Well, there’s great news. Quantitative earplug fit testing is now available. These proprietary hardware/software systems offer a significant advancement in earplug fit training.The method is similar in concept to a hearing test that would be conducted using an audiometer. The key difference is that the fit-testing system measures the amount of noise reduction the worker is getting from the earplugs based on the way they have fitted the earplugs themselves.

    What makes these systems so effective?

    • They’re generally very quick, no more than 10 minutes, and in some cases, quite a bit less
    • They provide instant feedback to the user in an easy to understand printout
    • If the results indicate that the plugs didn’t achieve the desired results, the trainer can re-instruct and re-test the worker until the required noise reduction is achieved
    • If an acceptable fit can’t be achieved after a certain number of attempts, it likely means that their choice of earplug cannot be made to fit (which is more common than you think) and they should try a different make/model
    • At the end of the process, the employee will have the right model of earplugs and will know how to wear them properly

    With over 25 years experience developing hearing conservation programs for industry, I strongly recommended that every employee that wears earplugs be fit-tested, not just the employees with known hearing problems. As previously mentioned, there’s no way of knowing if a person is wearing their earplugs properly just by looking, or by the NRR rating on the product packaging. Why wait until they develop a permanent hearing loss? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose? Fit tests should be done as soon as a worker is provided with their earplugs, and any time they change to a different type. Similar to audiometric testing, it’s also recommended that earplug fit testing is conducted on a periodic basis in order to monitor for inconsistencies and to conduct re-testing as needed.

    Jon Burtenshaw

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  • Workplace Chemicals Can Contribute To Hearing Loss: Study

    Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) is not the only cause of work-related hearing loss. A recent article written by Stefan Dubowski, published in COS magazine, is shedding light on how exposure to certain chemicals, known as Ototoxic chemicals can cause hearing loss, as well. This is referred to as Chemical Induced Hearing Loss (CIHL).

    Ototoxic Chemicals


    Ototoxic chemicals can affect the auditory vestibular nerve, which transmits sound and balances information to the brain. They can harm the auditory cortex as well, the part of the brain that processes sound. And because the inner ear is also part of the body’s balance control center, ototoxicity can result in disturbances to the balance sense, as well. Damage from the various types of ototoxic substances can result in different types of hearing difficulties such as:

    1. Hearing loss
    2. Tinnitus (permanent ringing in the ear)
    3. Difficulty with comprehension of spoken phrase
    4. Exacerbation of the effects of noise induced hearing loss

    Ototoxic solvents include such common workplace chemicals as:

    • Styrene
    • Toluene
    • Xylene



    Ototoxicity is a concern for workers across numerous industries, including printing, boat builders, welders, construction, manufacturing and more.

    The Research


    A study the articles references, conducted by researchers from the University of Queensland in Australia, found that members of the Australian Defense Force who were exposed to four or more ototoxic substances were two to four times more likely to experience moderate or severe tinnitus (ringing of the ears) compared to members of the force who were less exposed to the hazardous materials. Another recent study has found that exposure to styrene-a material used to make plastic containers and metal products may also harm people’s comprehension of spoken phrases. Some other substances that may contribute to ototoxicity include ethyl benzene, n-hexane, and carbon monoxide. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to prove that an individual’s hearing loss resulted from ototoxic exposure, especially when exposure to the substance coincided with exposure to noise. Since some chemicals work synergistically with noise to exacerbate hearing loss, it isn’t easy to tell how much of the damage resulted from the noise, and how much from ototoxicity. However, researcher Thais Morata, member of the hearing loss prevention team at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in the United States, says “The harmful effects of ototoxicity can appear 2 to 3 years earlier than what is usually seen with noise exposure,” but she adds, “the onset, site, mechanism and extent of ototoxic damage from these toxicants vary according to risk factors that include the type of chemical, interactions, and exposure level.”

    Possible Solutions


    Researchers are working to strengthen evidence of the connection between hearing loss and exposure to ototoxic substances. The good news is that the CSA is working on a new standard (CSA Z1007) that identifies ototoxicity as a potential hazard and includes information for anyone whose job involves exposure to ototoxic substances and noise. The draft of the standard says managers in such workplaces should submit employees to hearing tests at least twice per year. It also recommends the right PPE for reducing the exposure but PPE’s should only be used when the noise or chemical source can’t be reduced to safe levels. It should be noted that in addition to ototoxic workplace chemicals, there are also a number of ototoxic medications that can cause hearing loss and/or tinnitus (ringing in the ear), such as ibuprofen and naproxen, at higher doses. These effects are usually reversible.

    What you can do

    1. Understand what chemicals are in your work place. An industrial hygiene report is the starting point.
    2. Understand the risk. Fortunately, there is a significant amount of information available online on both ototoxic workplace chemicals and medications.
      (http://www.hlaabq.com/ototoxicdrugs.html)
      (http://www.workplaceintegra.com/hearing-articles/Ototoxics-in-Workplace.html)
    3. Eliminate the hazardous chemical altogether, if possible.
    4. Encourage workers to take a proactive role in their hearing health. Advising workers to see a Doctor if they suspect a hearing problem, whether your organization provides the service or not.
    5. Provide regular hearing testing and education for your workers. If you have exposure to ototoxic chemicals, tell your hearing testing provider.


    Jon Burtenshaw

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  • 3 Misconceptions About Mobile Hearing Testing

    Noise induced hearing loss is now the most common occupational disease in North America, affecting both the employee and employer. Here, we take a look at the 3 most misunderstood concerns about using a mobile hearing testing service.

    Misconception: The test must take place in a 100% soundproof environment:

    Audiometric booths (or attenuation booths), which are used in all clinical applications and most mobile unit applications, are simply designed to reduce the background noise to a level that no longer affects the test result. There are standard criteria for allowable background noise levels, and a properly designed mobile unit will meet these standards. Furthermore, It is standard practice for the person conducting the test to triple-check the results at each test tone before determining the patient’s true hearing level.

    Misconception: You must avoid any noise exposure prior to your test:

    It is hazardous noise that must be avoided, so wearing appropriate hearing protection is the equivalent of no noise exposure. Second, avoiding noise is essential for your baseline test, but not necessarily so for subsequent tests. In fact, it may be of more value to test a worker in the middle or even at the end of a shift. Here’s why: A person working in a high-noise environment prior the test will be (or should be) wearing hearing protection, so their test results shouldn’t indicate any noise-induced shifts, no matter what time the test was done. However, if this person is not wearing hearing protection (or not wearing it properly) and is tested at the end of a shift, the results are likely to indicate a temporary shift. This is the most important information of all. It’s exactly what you need to know. In fact, it’s the primary reason for a hearing conservation program.

    • You get a better understanding of the true level of hearing protection compliance in the workplace. You can’t simply assume that everyone’s wearing hearing protection and wearing it properly. You need a metric.
    • These temporary shifts will become permanent if allowed to continue. Since the hearing test will spot a shift before the worker begins to notice it, follow up remedial action can be taken at the earliest possible stage…before significant damage occurs and before it becomes compensable.
    • The results can be used as a training tool to help the worker see the risks of noise exposure and understand the benefits of hearing protection.

    If hearing tests were only conducted after temporary shifts have receded, we may not know about the shifts until it started to become a permanent shift.

    Misconception: The tests need to be conducted by a hearing specialist or audiologist:

    Most companies believe it’s neither efficient nor necessary to spend the time and money on a professional/clinical service when most people don’t need it. What’s needed is a quick way to screen for those with a condition that actually should be flagged for professional follow-up. This is where the mobile hearing testing services come in. Most services are capable of doing multiple-simultaneous tests and can screen the entire workforce in a fraction of the time it would take for a professional or nurse to do them one at a time. As an added bonus, many of these services also provide very comprehensive demographic and statistical reports. Proactive implementation of a comprehensive hearing conservation program can reduce and even eliminate occupational hearing loss. Save your organization and employees the time, costs and damages associated with hearing loss and book a mobile hearing test today. For more information, please contact us.

    Jon Burtenshaw

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