{"id":2259,"date":"2016-12-27T23:40:31","date_gmt":"2016-12-27T23:40:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cpanel.fuelmedserver.com\/~decibelhearing\/?p=2259"},"modified":"2019-05-31T18:12:29","modified_gmt":"2019-05-31T18:12:29","slug":"prevalence-hearing-loss-military","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/decibelhearing.com\/prevalence-hearing-loss-military\/","title":{"rendered":"Prevalence of Hearing Loss in the Military"},"content":{"rendered":"

While work-related injuries can occur in nearly every profession, certain careers are inherently riskier than others. A clear example of this would be the military. In those who serve as combat soldiers, the most common injuries sustained are hearing disorders, specifically, hearing loss and tinnitus<\/a>. Experts approximate that roughly 50 percent of combat soldiers suffer some degree of hearing loss. This percentage is much higher than in their civilian counterparts, of whom 20 percent experience hearing loss. Since hearing loss is known to impact an individual\u2019s emotional, mental and physical well-being, this condition can take a significant toll on our returning veterans.<\/p>\n

In recent decades, the Pentagon has taken some initiative to improve accessibility to hearing protection for combat soldiers. Retired soldier Stephen Carlson reported in The Washington Post<\/em> that mandatory forms of hearing protection\u2014ranging from over-the-ear headphones to noise-canceling earplugs\u2014were provided to soldiers, but rarely used in practice. A common explanation for this practice is survivability. Soldiers fear missing commands or being unaware of their surrounds in high-pressure situations.
\nFurther discussions have been held at the governmental level to determine more effective solutions. In 2013, the Office of Naval Research began an initiative to find better hearing preservation alternatives. The organization met with experts in the industry of hearing health to discuss the future of hearing protection research, which will be focused on:<\/p>\n