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![]() Monthly Review
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Brian Fligor, Sc.D. - Special Series on NIHL
Editor's note: This month, I am pleased to introduce Brian Fligor, Sc.D. as our guest moderator for an exciting series of talks on NIHL. Read below to find out more about the great line up that Dr. Fligor has put together – Paul Dybala, Ph.D.
Welcome
Welcome to a Month of Innovative Thinking in Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Prevention! I have worked to put together a series of presentations for AudiologyOnline on some of the hottest topics in Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) assessment and prevention. They are brought to you by noted experts in field including the president, past-president, and president-elect of the National Hearing Conservation Association (hearingconservation.org)! Whether you tune in for just one of the seminars, or participate in all five, you will leave with enthusiasm and heightened sensitivity to the issues presented. Special thanks to Paul Dybala, Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief, and Kristi Albers, M.A., Associate Editor, of AudiologyOnline for devoting their time and energies to bringing this series of online learning opportunities forward.
Not Just Factory Workers and iPods
NIHL is not all about giving earplugs to assembly line workers in factories and telling teenagers to turn down their iPods… NIHL is the 2nd most common cause of sensorineural hearing loss, affecting an estimated 22 million Americans between the ages of 20 and 69 years, according to NIDCD. In many cases, the hearing loss and other auditory injuries (like tinnitus) are preventable. The problem is insidious, though, and progressively worsens without intervention and continued exposure.
The Presenters and Topics
Hazardous noise exposures are the result of many different activities – both on and off the job. Rick Neitzel, certified industrial hygienist, research scientist, and Ph.D. candidate in Industrial Hygiene at the University of Washington, has examined hearing loss risk in several exotic settings, such as commercial fishing boats and the New York City subway. In his presentation, Rick will discuss a particularly challenging workplace for NIHL prevention: construction work. Strategies that one can use for protecting the hearing of construction workers could be applied to other work environments where noise is intermittent and the workforce is fluid. Michael Stewart, Ph.D., Professor of Audiology at Central Michigan University, will discuss the #1 cause of recreational NIHL: firearms. Dr. Stewart, an avid shooting sportsman himself, will be discussing many of the issues surrounding gun safety, where "hearing safety" is often forgotten. And what innovative NIHL series would be complete without discussing the special challenges facing musicians? Marshall Chasin, Au.D., is Director of Auditory Research at The Musicians' Clinics of Canada and editor of a new edition of the book Musicians and Hearing Loss (due out later this summer). Dr. Chasin will share the newest insights in this particularly difficult-to-manage population, where the hazardous exposure is the focus of the activity, rather than an unwelcome by-product like so many other hazardous noises.
Innovative thinking requires us to uncover hidden details that allow us to draw new insights from past experiences. Laurie Wells, Au.D., Manager of Audiology at Associates in Acoustics, a professional consulting firm specializing in the prevention of hearing loss, has participated in work-related determination of NIHL for years, helping to uncover whether or not a worker's hearing loss was caused by on-the-job exposure. This professional activity requires sophisticated understanding of the development of NIHL, and is an important application of the skills of an occupational audiologist. Deanna Meinke, Ph.D., Associate Professor in Audiology at University of Northern Colorado, has worked extensively in hearing loss prevention in children and teenagers and was co-chair of the first conference on Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Children at Work and Play (amongst many other notable accomplishments). Dr. Meinke will talk about NIHL risks that are specific to children, and consider the limitations of current hearing screening protocols for identifying NIHL in school-aged youth.
The Schedule
Wednesday, June 18: 12-1PM Eastern and 12-1PM Pacific
Construction Noise: How Bad Is It and What Can Be Done About It?
Presenter: Rick Neitzel, M.S., CIH - Research Scientist, University of Washington
Wednesday, June 25: 12-1PM Eastern and 12-1PM Pacific
Noise Risks and the Early Identification of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Youth
Presenter: Deanna Meinke, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Audiology, University of Northern Colorado; President, National Hearing Conservation Association
Wednesday, July 2: 12-1PM Eastern and 12-1PM Pacific
Recreational Firearm Noise Exposure
Presenter: Michael Stewart, Ph.D., Professor of Audiology, Central Michigan University
Wednesday July 16th: 12-1PM Eastern and 12-1PM Pacific
Prevention of Hearing Loss in Musicians
Presenter: Marshall Chasin, M.Sc., AuD, Reg. CASLPO, Aud (C), Director of Auditory Research, Musicians' Clinics of Canada
Thanks!
So, get ready to be blown away (figuratively speaking, of course) by this cast of noise experts and topics! I look forward to seeing you during these events.
Brian J. Fligor, Sc.D.
Guest Moderator
AudiologyOnline
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