Effects of Military Noise Exposure on Auditory Function in Service Members and Recently Discharged Veterans
Abstract
The Fiscal Year 2016 Joint Warfighter Medical Research Program Priority Area addressed the Clinical and Rehabilitative Medicine Research Program. As described in the Program Announcement, "the Clinical and Rehabilitative Medicine Research Program (CRMRP) focuses on the innovations required to reset our wounded Service Members, both in terms of duty performance and quality of life. Innovations developed from CRMRP-supported research efforts are expected to improve restorative treatments and rehabilitative care to maximize function for return to duty or civilian life." The CRMRP research focus areas include hearing loss/dysfunction and tinnitus (the sensation of ringing, buzzing, or other sounds in the ears or head when no external sound is present). Objectives and Rationale: Veterans and Military Service Members commonly report tinnitus and hearing loss, both of which can result in significant disability. During their military service, Service Members are exposed to many different types of loud noise. There is a strong relationship between noise exposure and tinnitus; however, other military-related exposures -- such as solvents or head injuries -- can also cause this problem. In fact, military Veterans may be twice as likely as non-Veterans to have tinnitus. The purpose of this "Noise Outcomes In Servicemembers Epidemiology Study" (NOISE Study) is to gather information from active duty Service Members and Veterans recently separated from military service about their military and non-military noise exposures, other relevant military and non-military exposures, tinnitus, hearing loss, and other hearing-related health concerns. What types of patients will this project help, and how will it help them? Military personnel are exposed to numerous hazards that are associated with tinnitus and hearing loss, including but not limited to high levels of noise. In spite of the awareness about these potential exposures and increased efforts to use hearing protection in the field, a substantial number of military personnel still experience tinnitus and/or hearing loss, which become significantly greater following military separation. In 2014, there were over 18,000 active-duty and reserve patients with newly diagnosed tinnitus. Between 2009 and 2013, there were over 320,000 new diagnoses for tinnitus and hearing loss combined. Similarly, since 2007 tinnitus and hearing loss have been, respectively, the first and second most prevalent of all Service-connected disabilities experienced by Veterans. In 2014, 1,276,456 Veterans were Service-connected for tinnitus and 933,182 Veterans were service-connected for hearing loss. The information gained from the NOISE Study could be used in future resource planning with the goal of preventing, as much as possible, the development of tinnitus and hearing loss during military service, and exacerbation of tinnitus and hearing loss following service. What are the potential clinical applications, benefits, and risks? Risks of participating in the NOISE Study are minimal. The information obtained will be used to better understand the magnitude of tinnitus and hearing loss as a problem for Service Members and Veterans and to identify noise exposure and other factors that contribute to their risk of these problems over time. It will also help estimate the prevalence of tinnitus and hearing loss in Veterans in order to help the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) plan for adequate hearing-related healthcare services into the future. Ultimately, this research will provide an overall better understanding of the causes, and outcomes, of tinnitus and hearing loss in Veterans. Another benefit of following Veterans for many years is to learn about the possible delayed effects that military noise exposures might have on their health, and what other problems might occur later in life due to these exposures. There have been no studies prior to the NOISE Study that can answer these import
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 07, 2017
- Source ID
- W81XWH1710020
Entities
People
- James Henry
Organizations
- Oregon Health & Science University
- United States Army