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NHCA E-News
October 2023
Did You Know?
Readership for our Spectrum Newsletter has nearly tripled since it was refreshed last Fall. Have you taken advantage of this membership benefit? If not, you can read it here. Not a member? Check out NHCA membership benefits and join here.  
Student Conference Award Application due October 15, 2023
Student attendance at the Annual Conference of the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) is important to the goals of the association and its interest in leadership development. Award recipients receive paid annual student membership for the year and conference registration fees for the upcoming annual conference. Travel expense for the conference (up to $800) is reimbursed. All awards are made possible by donations from NHCA members and other sponsors. 

Click Here to Submit Application! 

If you have any questions, please contact: 

NHCA Scholarship Foundation 

Phone: 303-224-9022
Learn More & Submit Application
Register Today for the Live Webinar: Considerations When Selecting Hearing Protection for Hearing-Critical Tasks
CAOHC and NHCA have teamed up to offer high-level webinar content on hot topics, with top-notch speakers!
When:  November 16, 2023 2:00PM - 3:00PM ET
CEUs: 1-hour CEU (AAA ) and (0.1 ASHA) 
Pricing: $38 – NHCA/CAOHC members, $50

About the Webinar: Functional hearing is critical for many tasks in the military and public safety where performance impacts could have life-threatening consequences. However, many of these occupations also involve frequent exposure to harmful noise. Ideally, our warfighters and public safety officers (PSOs) would have readily accessible Hearing Protection Devices (HPDs) that protect them from high-level noise exposures while preserving auditory situation awareness (SA). The unfortunate reality is that many HPDs degrade auditory SA, so our Service Members (SMs) and PSOs must often make a deliberate choice when engaging in hearing-critical life-threatening tasks between 1) wearing a hearing protector and sacrificing some SA or 2) operating without hearing protection and risking a temporary shift in hearing thresholds, both of which may impact their performance during the mission. The latter choice may also result in permanent hearing damage, which could impact fitness for duty or make them less effective in future operations. Yet, many still choose to operate without hearing protection. Read more about this webinar here.

Moderator: Kathy Gates

Presenter: Benjamin Sheffield
Register Now
 
Seeking NHCA Director of Communication
We are seeking a Director of Communication (DOC) to finish out the current term ending in February 2025. This volunteer will be responsible for working with the Spectrum and e-News Editors, providing final approval for the newsletters and other communications, and Website content management. The DOC does not do this alone - this is a team effort and mentoring will be provided! If interested, please contact Elizabeth Masterson at [email protected].
 
Seeking NHCA Scholarship Foundation Director
We are looking for a new member of the NHCA Scholarship Foundation. This volunteer will enlist and review applications for our Conference, Research, and Tuition Awards, and will work with the NHCASF team to raise money for these three awards at each year’s conference.  If interested, please contact Marjorie Grantham at [email protected].
 
Recent Hearing Research

Preclinical prospects of investigational agents for hearing loss treatment.  Le Prell CG. Expert Opin Investig Drugs. 2023 Sep 11:1-8. doi: 10.1080/13543784.2023.2253141. Online ahead of print. PMID: 37695693  

Hearing Loss Prevalence, Years Lived With Disability, and Hearing Aid Use in the United States From 1990 to 2019: Findings From the Global Burden of Disease Study. Haile LM, Orji AU, Reavis KM, Briant PS, Lucas KM, Alahdab F, Bärnighausen TW, Bell AW, Cao C, Dai X, Hay SI, Heidari G, Karaye IM, Miller TR, Mokdad AH, Mostafavi E, Natto ZS, Pawar S, Rana J, Seylani A, Singh JA, Wei J, Yang L, Ong KL, Steinmetz JD; GBD 2019 USA Hearing Loss Collaborators. Ear Hear. 2023 Sep 15. doi: 10.1097/AUD.0000000000001420. Online ahead of print. PMID: 37712826 

Risk Factors Associated with Occupational Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos: A Cross-Sectional Epidemiologic Investigation. Arnold ML, Sanchez VA, Carrasco DN, Martinez D, Dhar S, Stickel A, Perreira KM, Athanasios T, Lee DJ. J Occup Environ Hyg. 2023 Aug 24:1-15. doi: 10.1080/15459624.2023.2250403. Online ahead of print. PMID: 37615410  

The effects of occupational noise on sleep: A systematic review. Yazdanirad S, Khoshakhlagh AH, Al Sulaie S, L Drake C, M Wickwire E. Sleep Med Rev. 2023 Sep 1;72:101846. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2023.101846. Online ahead of print. PMID: 37683554 Review. 

The relationship between extended high-frequency hearing and the binaural spatial advantage in young to middle-aged firefighters.  Roup CM, Ferguson SD, Lander D. J Acoust Soc Am. 2023 Oct 1;154(4):2055-2059. doi: 10.1121/10.0021172. PMID: 37782123  

Risk perception or hazard perception? Examining misperceptions of miners' personal exposures to noise.  Shkembi A, Smith LM, Neitzel RL. Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2023 Sep 22;254:114263. doi: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2023.114263. Online ahead of print. PMID: 37742520 

A current affair: worker perceptions of noise exposure and occupational hearing loss in Australian coal mines.  Liebenberg A, Oosthuizen J, Reed S. Ann Work Expo Health. 2023 Sep 16:wxad055. doi: 10.1093/annweh/wxad055. Online ahead of print. PMID: 37715958 

Prevalence of voice handicap among nurses in intensive care units due to occupational noise during pandemic.  Song Z, Lee PJ, Jung H. Front Public Health. 2023 Sep 1;11:1250512. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1250512. eCollection 2023. PMID: 37727611 Free PMC article. 

Progress on mechanisms of age-related hearing loss. Yang W, Zhao X, Chai R, Fan J. Front Neurosci. 2023 Aug 30;17:1253574. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1253574. eCollection 2023. PMID: 37727326. Review.  
 
Latest NHCA "Listen Up" Column in the Industrial Hygiene in the Workplace (IHW) Magazine
Every two months, NHCA experts contribute a short article to the IHW Magazine. The latest issue included the NHCA article titled "Audiometric Monitoring: Boothless Audiometry is a Reality" by Deanna Meinke (https://industrialhygienepub.com/digital-edition/), September/October issue, page 14). 
 
Future and past IHW magazine issues can also be viewed at: https://industrialhygienepub.com/. e-News will alert you the next time one of our NHCA experts contributes an article.
 
Available with Open Access: NIOSH Special Issue in Seminars in Hearing  

This issue highlights the breadth of NIOSH hearing loss prevention surveillance and research. The seven article titles are:  

  • Preventing Occupational Hearing Loss: 50 Years of Research and Recommendations from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 

  • NIOSH Hearing Loss Prevention Program for Mining 

  • Workers’ Compensation Costs for Occupational Hearing Loss Claims in the United States, 2009-2013 

  • Audiological Tests Used in the Evaluation of the Effects of Solvents on the Human Auditory System – A Mixed Methods Review 

  • Evaluating Earplug Performance over a 2-hour Work Period with a Fit-test System 

  • Noise Exposure and Hearing Loss among Workers at a Hammer Forge Company 

  • Evaluation of Low Frequency Noise, Infrasound, and Health Symptoms at an Administrative Building and Men’s Shelter: A Case Study 

The issue can be accessed here:  
https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/journal/10.1055/s-00000067 
Sound Postcard– Resources to celebrate National Protect Your Hearing Month 

To learn more: https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hearing_loss/toolkit/animated_gifs.html 

From CDC:  

https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hearing_loss/toolkit/shareable_media.html 

From NIDCD:  

https://www.noisyplanet.nidcd.nih.gov/have-you-heard/october-national-protect-your-hearing-month 

From American Academy of Audiology:  

https://www.audiology.org/practice-resources/public-awareness/october-is-national-audiology-awareness-month/ 

From OSHA:  

https://www.osha.com/blog/ear-protection-safety-tips 

From NPR:  

https://www.npr.org/2023/08/16/1194185000/protect-your-hearing-and-ears 

From Noisy Planet: 

https://www.noisyplanet.nidcd.nih.gov/publications?langcode%5Ben%5D=en 

From Wise Little Ears: 

https://wiselittleears.com/blogs/news/help-my-child-wont-wear-hearing-protection-4-strategies-to-overcome-the-toddler-earmuff-battle 

From Weekly Safety:  

https://weeklysafety.com/blog/national-protect-your-hearing-month 

From IHW: 

https://industrialhygienepub.com/hearing/our-planet-is-noisy-october-is-national-protect-your-hearing-month/ 
 
Save the Date for the 2024 NHCA Annual Conference!

We hope to see you at the 2024 NHCA Annual Conference February 8-10 in beautiful Albuquerque, New Mexico! 
 
Join NHCA & SoundPrint this October for the Find Your Quiet Place Challenge 

We’re excited to partner with SoundPrint, a hearing health app, to promote hearing health awareness. Join us this October for SoundPrint’s Find Your Quiet Place Challenge! 

The details 

From October 1st through the 31st, take sound measurements in public venues in your communities, using the SoundPrint app, to promote hearing health awareness. The goal is to measure and submit as many sound levels as possible. Prizes will be awarded to the most dedicated participants! 

Using the SoundPrint app is simple. Once downloaded, your smartphone turns into a decibel meter allowing you to take sound measurements everywhere you go and submit them to the app’s database. 

Join us! 

Visit the FYQP webpage to download the app, register for the Challenge, get the details on prizes, and more.

Questions? Email SoundPrint 
Learn More & Register for the Challenge
 
ASHA PRAXIS Exam Question-writing Opportunity 

ASHA and the Educational Testing Services (ETS) need certified audiologists and SLPs to write and revise questions for the Audiology and SLP PRAXIS exams.  The application is available here: 

Volunteer Opportunity: Audiology and SLP PRAXIS Exam Item Writers (asha.org) 

UKHCA are preparing their next quarterly newsletter and are contacting all members to give them the opportunity to contribute to this edition or future editions.  If you have any articles, news items or events that your colleagues would be interested in learning about please send them to us, the deadline is 14 days from today.   

Email:  [email protected] 

Kind regards 
UKHCA 
[email protected] 
 
Members: Tell Us Your News!
Speaking, publishing, researching, performing, hearing? NHCA would love to hear about exciting changes and achievements in your professional and personal endeavors.
Click here to tell us your news!
 


Who is NHCA?


We are a group of passionate hearing conservationists willing to share their expertise to prevent hearing loss. NHCA members include occupational and clinical audiologists, industrial hygienists, occupational health nurses, acoustical engineers and technicians, physicians, occupational health and safety professionals, military personnel, university professors, students, researchers and others with an interest in hearing conservation. 





Visit the Virtual Marketplace Year-Round! 

Learn more about NHCA’s sponsors by accessing profiles, videos, and other helpful links here.

Our Vision: To prevent hearing loss and other auditory disorders due to noise and secondary environmental factors in all sectors of society.

Our Mission: NHCA provides leadership, expertise, and education on hearing loss prevention strategies and services to the broader professional community and empowers and supports members through networking and advocacy.
 
If you are not a member, click here and join today!
- Marjorie Grantham - Editor

Questions? Contact us at [email protected]. 
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