martes, 6 de diciembre de 2016

DHA to welcome Hearing Center of Excellence to agency | Health.mil

DHA to welcome Hearing Center of Excellence to agency | Health.mil
Health.mil

DHA to welcome Hearing Center of Excellence to agency

The roar of a howitzer. The piercing scream of a jet engine. These are just a couple of the deafening sounds service members have to deal with. It’s just the nature of the business for the military, and no wonder why noise-induced hearing loss can be so prevalent among service members. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech Sgt. Stephen D. Schester)
The roar of a howitzer. The piercing scream of a jet engine. These are just a couple of the deafening sounds service members have to deal with. It’s just the nature of the business for the military, and no wonder why noise-induced hearing loss can be so prevalent among service members. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech Sgt. Stephen D. Schester)

the roar of a howitzer. The piercing scream of a jet engine. These are just a couple of the deafening sounds people have to deal with during battle. It’s just the nature of the business for the military, and no wonder why noise-induced hearing loss can be so prevalent among service members. It’s also why the Military Health System works with other federal agencies, colleges and universities and public and private entities to prevent and treat those types of injuries.
“Noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus, the ringing in the ears, are highly prevalent in the Department of Defense (DoD),” said Lynn Henselman, interim executive director of the Hearing Center of Excellence (HCE), a joint effort between the DoD and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). “Hearing is a critical sense, especially for our service members conducting their missions, to have situational awareness. When they don’t have good hearing, it can potentially affect their ability to do the mission.”
Henselman is a VA employee assigned to the DoD for this collaboration. The center comes under formal control of the Defense Health Agency Dec. 11, 2016. But the collaboration between the military and VA on hearing loss issues goes back decades before the 2009 law that created the HCE.
“There’s always been a great partnership between hearing health providers in the VA and DoD,” said Henselman. “So it made sense for us to have this platform with the center to accomplish several strategic initiatives to improve the hearing health of service members and veterans. These initiatives focus on the prevention, diagnosis, mitigation, treatment, rehabilitation and research of hearing loss and injuries to the auditory system and sense of balance functions of the ear.”
Most of the DoD’s primary focus, according to Henselman, has been on prevention of noise-induced hearing loss, even if the nature of warfare sometimes makes preventing it difficult. That’s where the military can draw on the experience the VA brings in treatment, including rehabilitation.
“People are in the VA because they already have the injuries, so we’re used to treating them,” said Henselman. “That’s why we’re educating the military health care providers about best practices in certain hearing loss treatments and approaches to managing tinnitus.”
The VA’s research arm has done extensive work in tinnitus assessment and management. The VA’s partnership with other research laboratories continues to update VA and military clinics about the best practices and latest equipment. 
Meanwhile, the VA is learning from the military how to help people prevent noise-induced hearing loss. Henselman pointed to the HCE’s Comprehensive Hearing Health Program, an approach using three basic concepts:
  1. Protection – promoting the proper use of the right kinds of protective equipment, such as earplugs and  earmuffs
  2. Education – teaching service members and veterans about the effects of noise and how important hearing protection is to this vital sense
  3. Monitoring – testing the hearing of service members in traditionally noisy jobs, as well as getting all service members checked annually or periodically (the Army and Marine Corps test all their members every year; the Navy and Air Force do it for those exposed as part of their jobs) to ensure a ready and fit-to-fight military
“Even though our veterans come into our clinics with hearing loss, it can get worse,” said Henselman. “Since they might work in industrial areas or shoot recreationally or attend loud events, such as a NASCAR race, our patients need to be able to know what to do to protect their hearing from hazardous noise levels.”
HCE is a small organization, only about three dozen people. That’s not a lot of hands to help the millions affected by some type of hearing loss. Henselman said they leverage their support from the military services, public health offices, Veterans Health Administration and civilian hearing health organizations. “They’re the ones to help guide us to fill any gaps in care.”

Exiting an A-10C Thunderbolt

Photo
9/30/2016
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Judith Bulkley, an electrical and environmental systems specialist deployed from the 23rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Moody Air Force Base, Ga., exits an A-10C Thunderbolt II after performing an external power operations check on the aircraft at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. Because service members in particular are often exposed to high noise levels, hearing protection is crucial, especially with a TBI. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Stephen Schester)
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Judith Bulkley, an electrical and environmental systems specialist deployed from the 23rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Moody Air Force Base, Ga., exits an A-10C Thunderbolt II after performing an external power operations check on the aircraft at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. Because service members in particular are often exposed to high noise levels, hearing protection is crucial, especially with a TBI. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Stephen Schester)
Related Topics:Hearing LossTraumatic Brain Injury

Hearing loss and brain injuries

Article
9/30/2016
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Judith Bulkley, an electrical and environmental systems specialist deployed from the 23rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Moody Air Force Base, Ga., exits an A-10C Thunderbolt II after performing an external power operations check on the aircraft at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. Because service members in particular are often exposed to high noise levels, hearing protection is crucial, especially with a TBI. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Stephen Schester)
Becoming aware of how your surroundings can affect your hearing is a key factor in managing hearing problems associated with TBI
Related Topics:Hearing LossTraumatic Brain Injury

Lt. Col. James Morrison getting adjustments to cochlear implant

Photo
9/22/2016
Dr. Elizabeth Searing (right) makes initial adjustments via a computer to Lt. Col. James Morrison's cochlear implant. Dr. April Luxner, an audiologist with Cochlear Corporation, was on hand to witness Morrison's reactions to hearing with his right ear after 12 years of deafness. (U.S. Army photo by Jeff Troth)
Dr. Elizabeth Searing (right) makes initial adjustments via a computer to Lt. Col. James Morrison's cochlear implant. Dr. April Luxner, an audiologist with Cochlear Corporation, was on hand to witness Morrison's reactions to hearing with his right ear after 12 years of deafness. (U.S. Army photo by Jeff Troth)
Related Topics:Hearing Loss

Cochlear implant opens up the world for Army colonel

Article
9/22/2016
Dr. Elizabeth Searing (right) makes initial adjustments via a computer to Lt. Col. James Morrison's cochlear implant. Dr. April Luxner, an audiologist with Cochlear Corporation, was on hand to witness Morrison's reactions to hearing with his right ear after 12 years of deafness. (U.S. Army photo by Jeff Troth)
In the past 12 years, Army Lt. Col. James Morrison has seen ear, head and neck, and neurology specialists at the six posts where he was stationed
Related Topics:Access to Health CareMilitary Hospitals and ClinicsQuality and Safety of Health CareHearing Loss

Focus group works to shield Marines against deafening noise levels

Article
1/15/2016
A Marine fires a M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle, at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia.
Leaders discussed the existing technology and current policies of noise protection
Related Topics:Hearing Loss

Researchers evaluate true effects of hearing loss for Soldiers

Article
12/18/2015
With a helmet full of data collectors and a hearing loss simulator, Army Sgt. Nimrud Velasco of 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) maneuvers his team toward their next waypoint during audiology research at Fort Campbell. Simulated hearing loss was challenging, but he said his team compensated with hand-and-arm signals. (U.S. Army photo by David Gillespie)
Army Medicine audiology researchers are studying how hearing loss affects Soldier performance on the battlefield
Related Topics:Hearing LossHealth Readiness

Noise pollution and hearing loss

Article
8/26/2015
Senior Airman Alexandra Washington, communications and navigations technician assigned to the 20th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, checks antennae signals on a B-52 Stratofortress, while wearing hearing protection.
Noise-related hearing loss is a tactical risk for individual warriors and unit effectiveness.
Related Topics:Hearing LossHuman Performance Resource Center

Defense Occupational and Environmental Health Readiness System – Hearing Conservation (DOEHRS-HC)

Fact Sheet
10/1/2013
The Defense Occupational and Environmental Health Readiness System – Hearing Conservation (DOEHRS-HC) is an information system designed to support personal auditory readiness and help prevent hearing loss through early detection.
Related Topics:TechnologyHearing Loss

Guidance on the Establislunent of Department of Defense Standardization for Ordering and Procurement of Hearing Devices Prostheses 13-006

Policy
The Defense Hearing Center of Excellence (HCE), which is focused on improving prevention, diagnosis, mitigation, treatment, and rehabilitation of hearing loss and auditory system injury, has identified a significant improvement in the ordering and procurement of hearing devices.

No hay comentarios: