The Hearing Journal addresses the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) February 2017 Vital Signs issue on noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), focusing on the CDC’s findings with regard to non-occupational NIHL. CDC scientists Yulia Carroll, MD, PhD, and John Eichwald, MA, write about the medical community inquiries the CDC received on the topic of hearing loss related to noise in non-occupational settings, and discuss the research relied on in producing the Vital Signs’ NIHL issue.
Carroll and Eichwald write that “[m]any people may not recognize that loud noise from common activities, such as mowing the lawn or attending sporting events, can be as loud as the noise found in the workplace and is enough to damage hearing.” They note that “it is important to raise public awareness that the louder the noise and the longer the exposure, the more likely hearing damage will occur.” After all, prevention of disease is an important CDC goal, and, as the authors write, “[n]oise-induced hearing loss is a preventable health condition that can be avoided by using relatively easy measures.”
Unfortunately, “[t]here are no federal guidelines on safe noise exposures” for the public, but Carroll and Eichwald suggest that that could change:
Because noise-induced hearing damage accumulates over time, there is a need for future research about noise exposure and prevention at younger ages. CDC is working with various organizations and continues to analyze national data to prioritize public health needs.
Originally posted at Silencity.com.