Friday, March 21, 2014

School hearing tests do not detect noise exposure hearing loss

When I got gas for my car last week, I could easily hear the sound of running liquid coming from the gas pump, from a distance of at least a foot. When I got the young woman who was working there to listen to it, she had to put her ear up close to the pump to hear it.


http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-03/ps-sht032014.php

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 20-Mar-2014

Contact: Matthew Solovey
Penn State

School hearing tests do not detect noise exposure hearing loss

School hearing tests cannot effectively detect adolescent high-frequency hearing loss, which is typically caused by loud noise exposure, according to researchers at Penn State College of Medicine.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health mandates school-administered hearing screens for children in kindergarten to third, seventh and 11th grades. The school screenings primarily focus on low-frequency hearing loss. This is logical for young children, who are more likely to develop low-frequency hearing loss due to fluid in the ear after a bad cold or an ear infection. Adolescents, however, are more susceptible to high-frequency hearing loss, usually brought on by exposure to loud noises, but the same tests are used on adolescents and young children.

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One in five adolescents experiences hearing loss, and most of this is high-frequency hearing loss related to continued exposure to noise hazards. Early detection and avoidance of loud noises can prevent hearing loss from progressing. To efficiently detect adolescent hearing loss, schools across the U.S. may need to consider alternate tests that are better designed to detect noise-related high-frequency hearing loss.

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