Hearing Loss Accidents And Work Related Injuries
Hearing Loss, Accidents And Work-Related Injuries Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again. × Search search POPULAR SEARCHES SUGGESTED LINKS Join AARP for just $9 per year when you sign up for a 5-year term. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Leaving AARP.org Website You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply.
Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. The close relationship between the degree of self-reported hearing loss and the increased risk of accidents was noteworthy, says study author Neil Bhattacharyya, a professor of otolaryngology at Harvard Medical School. The correlation was especially strong with accidental injuries suffered at work or while participating in leisure or sport-related activities.
It makes sense, says Bhattacharyya: If you can't hear well, you lose that crucial warning system that would signal to you that a car or truck is driving up behind you while you’re biking, for example. “As a special sense, hearing has a tremendous protective role,” he says.
The fact that work-related injuries were also higher among participants in the study may be a bit more surprising. “Numerous studies have demonstrated that hearing loss and working in very noisy environments both contribute to the incidence of work-related injuries,” says Sarah Sydlowski, audiology director of the Hearing Implant Program at the Cleveland Clinic. But even in quieter workplaces, people with compromised hearing may not hear crucial directions, warnings, alerts or other communications. And if they have asymmetric hearing between their ears, they may not be able to tell where the sound is coming from (a problem with spatial orientation). AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. in the April 2016 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that hearing loss is associated with poorer physical functioning, especially in the lower extremities among older men and women. Sydlowski explains that because the hearing and balance systems are connected in the inner ear, when hearing problems occur, balance can be affected, too, in ways that can increase the risk of falling.
Flowers & Gifts 25% off sitewide and 30% off select items See more Flowers & Gifts offers > The take-home message: If you think your hearing is somewhat compromised, don’t ignore it; by an audiologist. (To find one near you, ask your doctor or consult the .) AARP members can take a free .
But many people delay getting tested. Even when they suspect they’re having hearing difficulties, they typically wait seven years to do anything about it, Sydlowski says. “Waiting prolongs the time that people are hearing less than their best,” she says. “That can decrease their quality of life, impact success at work and in relationships, may lead to withdrawing from favorite activities, and it may increase the risk of injury.” More on health AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS
Hearing Loss May Make You Accident Prone
Risk of injury increases when your special sense is compromised
Difficulty with hearing can make you more prone to injuries and accidents. Getty Images doesn’t just put you at a social disadvantage. It may put you in harm’s way, too, increasing your risk of getting injured in a variety of situations, including at work. That's the news from a in a March 2018 issue of JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, which examined how hearing ability played a role for the 6.6 million U.S. adults who experienced accidental injuries annually between 2007 and 2015. It turns out that those who reported having “a little trouble” hearing were 60 percent more likely to have been injured, those with “moderate trouble” were 70 percent more likely, and those with “a lot of trouble” hearing were 90 percent more likely to have been injured, compared with those with normal hearing.Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. The close relationship between the degree of self-reported hearing loss and the increased risk of accidents was noteworthy, says study author Neil Bhattacharyya, a professor of otolaryngology at Harvard Medical School. The correlation was especially strong with accidental injuries suffered at work or while participating in leisure or sport-related activities.
It makes sense, says Bhattacharyya: If you can't hear well, you lose that crucial warning system that would signal to you that a car or truck is driving up behind you while you’re biking, for example. “As a special sense, hearing has a tremendous protective role,” he says.
The fact that work-related injuries were also higher among participants in the study may be a bit more surprising. “Numerous studies have demonstrated that hearing loss and working in very noisy environments both contribute to the incidence of work-related injuries,” says Sarah Sydlowski, audiology director of the Hearing Implant Program at the Cleveland Clinic. But even in quieter workplaces, people with compromised hearing may not hear crucial directions, warnings, alerts or other communications. And if they have asymmetric hearing between their ears, they may not be able to tell where the sound is coming from (a problem with spatial orientation). AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. in the April 2016 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that hearing loss is associated with poorer physical functioning, especially in the lower extremities among older men and women. Sydlowski explains that because the hearing and balance systems are connected in the inner ear, when hearing problems occur, balance can be affected, too, in ways that can increase the risk of falling.
Flowers & Gifts 25% off sitewide and 30% off select items See more Flowers & Gifts offers > The take-home message: If you think your hearing is somewhat compromised, don’t ignore it; by an audiologist. (To find one near you, ask your doctor or consult the .) AARP members can take a free .
But many people delay getting tested. Even when they suspect they’re having hearing difficulties, they typically wait seven years to do anything about it, Sydlowski says. “Waiting prolongs the time that people are hearing less than their best,” she says. “That can decrease their quality of life, impact success at work and in relationships, may lead to withdrawing from favorite activities, and it may increase the risk of injury.” More on health AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS