Examining the utility of near infrared light as pre-exposure therapy to mitigate temporary noise-induced hearing loss in humans.

Introduction: This study sought to determine the effect of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) compliant noise on auditory health and assess whether pre-noise near infrared (NIR) light therapy can mitigate the effects of noise exposure.

Methods: Over four visits, participants ( = 30, NCT#: 03834714) with normal hearing completed baseline hearing health assessments followed by exposure to open ear, continuous pink noise at 94 dBA for 15 min. Immediately thereafter, post-noise hearing tests at 3000, 4000, and 6000 Hz and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) were conducted along with the Modified Rhyme Test (MRT), Masking Level Difference Test (MLD), and Fixed Level Frequency Tests (FLFT) [collectively referred to as the Central and Peripheral Auditory Test Battery (CPATB)] to acquire baseline noise sensitivity profiles.

Noise of military weapons, ground vehicles, planes and ships.

Noisy equipment and processes are found throughout military operations, exposing service members to risks of hearing damage due to hazardous noise levels. This article provides an overview of the military noise environment for the non-expert and provides a general characterization of the noise by source type and operational category. The focus of the article is primarily related to the Army, but the same, or similar, equipment is used by the Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force.

Military and industrial performance: the critical role of noise controls.

Noise control is a well understood and important engineering skill. The science has been developed to address operational needs of being quiet on the one hand, and avoiding hearing loss on the other, both in industry and military operations. Noise control is also the first priority step in systems safety risk mitigation for noise hazards, as evidenced in U.

Engineering out the noise.

The US Navy, through an Office of Naval Research (ONR) lead effort on Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL), is investigating methods and techniques to mitigate hearing loss for the crews and warfighters. Hearing protection is a viable and increasingly popular method of reducing hearing exposure for many ship crew members; however, it has limitations on comfort and low frequency effectiveness. Furthermore, Personal Hearing Protection (PHP) is often used improperly.

Performance in noise: Impact of reduced speech intelligibility on Sailor performance in a Navy command and control environment.

Noise, hearing loss, and electronic signal distortion, which are common problems in military environments, can impair speech intelligibility and thereby jeopardize mission success. The current study investigated the impact that impaired communication has on operational performance in a command and control environment by parametrically degrading speech intelligibility in a simulated shipborne Combat Information Center. Experienced U.

Prelude: noise-induced tinnitus and hearing loss in the military.

Hearing is critical to the performance of military personnel and is integral to the rapid and accurate processing of speech information. Thus, noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) represents a severe impairment that reduces military effectiveness, safety, and quality of life. With the high levels of noise to which military personnel are exposed and the limited protection afforded by hearing conservation programs, it should be no surprise that annual Veterans Affairs disability payments for tinnitus and hearing loss exceeded $1.