Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine

30 The Ear, Nose, Mouth and Throat
many of the sounds that provide orientation to
one’s personal environment. With accommodation,
most people with hearing loss are able to fully participate
in nearly all activities those who have normal
hearing can experience. In the United States,
the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires
public facilities and most employers to provide reasonable
accommodations for people who have profound
hearing loss.
Risk Factors and Preventive Measures
The most significant risk factors for acquired hearing
loss are age and noise exposure. Researchers
are exploring the processes of aging that cause
hearing loss, looking for ways to mitigate or eliminate
them. Limiting noise exposure appears to be
one way to help reduce sensorineural hearing loss,
even as a component of aging. Just 15 minutes of
exposure to noise at greater than 115 dB (jet
engine, chain saw, rock concert, sporting event in
a stadium or arena) damages the HAIR cells within
the cochlea. The US Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA) establishes guidelines
and regulations for protection from exposure
to noise in the workplace. Other mechanisms that
contribute to age-related hearing loss are likely
genetic; research continues in this area as well.
Because numerous medications can damage
the structures of the inner ear, it is important to
always ask the doctor or pharmacist whether this
is a potential SIDE EFFECT. When it is, ask if there
are alternatives that are less risky for hearing. Illnesses
such as MEASLES, though now less common
because of vaccines, also can cause hearing loss.
RUBELLA (German measles) remains a leading
cause of congenital hearing loss.
See also APHASIA; BAROTRAUMA; NOISE EXPOSURE
AND HEARING; OTOTOXICITY; PRENATAL CARE.