NHCA E-News September 2026
 

September 9: Learn, Connect & Earn CEUs
Register Now

The NHCA Fall Virtual Educational Summit is happening September 9—bringing hearing conservation professionals from across the county together for a full day of learning and professional development.

Hear from leading experts as they share the latest research, emerging trends, and practical best practices you can put into action. Plus, earn up to .75 ASHA/AAA CEUs with a flexible mix of live and on-demand sessions.

Make the most of this valuable learning opportunity—register today and reserve your spot!
Register Now

Featured Live Session:
Setting the Global Stage: Updates in Hearing Loss Prevention for Live Music Settings
How can the music industry move beyond hearing loss awareness and toward meaningful, lasting prevention? Join Frank Wartinger, AuD, Laura Sinnott, AuD, and Jos Mulder, PhD, for an engaging panel discussion examining the unique hearing health challenges facing musicians, concert-goers, and professionals working in live music settings.

The panel will explore the historical and regulatory factors that have shaped hearing conservation in the music industry, current trends in music-induced hearing disorders (MIHD), and the barriers that can prevent musicians and concert-goers from seeking care. Attendees will also learn how hearing loss prevention efforts vary across venues, communities, and countries—and what is being done globally to create a stronger culture of hearing health.

The session will highlight practical solutions and innovative programs, including the international Healthy Ears Limited Annoyance (HELA) certification and the Recording Academy’s MusiCares program. Attendees will come away with a better understanding of emerging prevention strategies and valuable resources that hearing healthcare professionals can use to provide more effective, music-focused hearing conservation care.

Don’t miss this timely session and a full day of expert-led education at the NHCA Fall Virtual Educational Summit on September 9. Register today to reserve your spot, and explore the full agenda at the link below to see everything the Summit has to offer!
Register Now
Click Here to View the Agenda
 
The Call for Papers Is Now Open!
Take the Stage at NHCA's 51st Annual Conference in 2027

The National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) invites you to submit a proposal to present at the 51st Annual NHCA Conference, taking place in Orlando, Florida, April 22-24, 2027.

The 2027 conference theme, Promoting Prevention through Partnerships, celebrates the power of collaboration in advancing hearing loss prevention. We welcome presentations that showcase innovative research, practical applications, emerging technologies, interdisciplinary partnerships, and evidence-based strategies that strengthen hearing conservation efforts across industries and professions.

The Submission deadline is November 2, 2026. Abstracts will be reviewed by the conference planning committee and recruited reviewers, by December 4, 2026. 
SUBMIT YOUR ABSTRACT
 
NHCA/CAOHC Webinar Series

The National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) has coordinated with the Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation (CAOHC) to host a NHCA/CAOHC webinar series for 2025/2026.  The series offers high-level webinar content on hot topics and top-notch speakers.
REGISTER HERE
Please make a note of the upcoming webinar on October 14, 2026, by Dr. Eric Fallon. It will focus on the importance of audibility as a measure that will help hearing conservation professionals better meet their workers’ needs.
 
Also, save the date for a webinar on Advancements in Tinnitus Therapy on November 19 with Dr. Marc Fagelson. Among other topics, he will discuss current research findings and treatment advances, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and low-gain amplification for tinnitus.
 

Spanish Sub-title Versions of 'Hearing is Quality of Life' Video Series Are Now Available!

The motivational videos are now available with Spanish subtitles here on the NHCA website. The National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) Hearing Loss Prevention Cross-Sector Council produced this series of videos featuring conversations with noise-exposed workers who have experienced hearing loss and/or tinnitus. These are short motivational videos intended for a lay worker audience to increase awareness and protective behavior. NHCA is exclusively hosting the series.
 
Listen Up! 
Every two months, NHCA experts contribute a short article to the IHW Magazine. The latest issue features a section on compliance to the OSHA standard on Noise Exposure, briefly outlining its history, need, and requirements.
Recent Hearing Research 
 
  1. Validation of road traffic noise and prediction of traffic increases along a highway in Hungary using noise maps. Katw KW, Tóthmérész B, Kocsis D. Environ Monit Assess. 2026 Aug 24;198(9):980. doi: 10.1007/s10661-026-15821-0. PMID: 42637920 Free PMC article.
  2. Occupational noise exposure and cardiovascular disease risk factors in China: mediating role of hearing loss. Tan Q, Hu Y, Xue P, Li F, Wei F, Xie H, Zhou Z, Quan C, Wang D, Zou H, Lou X, Zhou L. Front Public Health. 2026 Aug 4;14:1901898. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1901898. eCollection 2026. PMID: 42614335 Free PMC article.
  3. Spatial and temporal associations between physical establishment density and hearing difficulty across US counties. Duan T, Li Q, Kim N. PLoS One. 2026 Aug 11;21(8):e0355504. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0355504. eCollection 2026. PMID: 42579682 Free PMC article.
  4. Associations of Hearing Loss Defined by Updated World Health Organization Criteria With Socioeconomic Status and Health Check-Up-Related Factors: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study in Japan.  Akamatsu Y, Uchida Y, Shimono M, Sugiura S, Nishita Y, Shimokata H, Nakayama T, Otsuka R. Geriatr Gerontol Int. 2026 Aug;26(8):e70664. doi: 10.1111/ggi.70664. PMID: 42549616 Free PMC article.
  5. The association between transportation noise exposure and mental health outcomes in children and adolescents in High Income Countries: A systematic umbrella review.  Hussain S, Cummins S, Gulliver J, Aksoy CD, Clark C. Environ Res. 2026 Aug 15;303(Pt 1):124651. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2026.124651. Epub 2026 May 15. PMID: 42142569 Free article.
  6. Auditory and non-auditory effects of noise on health: updated evidence and future directions. Basner M, Brink M, Davis A, van Kamp I, Kujawa SG, Münzel T, Smith MG. Environ Res. 2026 Aug 1;302:124648. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2026.124648. Epub 2026 May 2. PMID: 42081987 Free article. Review.
  7. Noise Exposure in a Dental Teaching Hospital: Investigations and Recommendations for Dental Personnel. Shea LO, El Refaie A, Moloney C, Coffey N. Eur J Dent Educ. 2026 Aug;30(3):1046-1051. doi: 10.1111/eje.70058. Epub 2025 Oct 30. PMID: 41164904 Free PMC article.
  8. Language and sound exposure across neonatal intensive care hospitalization and relationships with early outcome. Pineda R, Woodward LJ, Vesoulis ZA, Smyser CD, Inder TE, Mathur AM, Schlaggar BL. J Perinatol. 2026 Aug;46(8):1482-1488. doi: 10.1038/s41372-026-02623-y. Epub 2026 Mar 13. PMID: 41826671 Free PMC article.
 
Sound Postcard
Here is a news piece about something you may or may not have heard. A low-frequency pervasive hum. I had certainly not, but apparently it has been reported for several decades across the world, and deemed to be of mysterious origin. Several explanations have been offered for its origin, including low-frequency tinnitus.
 

Now, a researcher from the University seems to have found evidence that confirms another theory forwarded several decades ago – that this hum is the sound made by ocean swells.
 
For a 2017 research article on this topic, read on here.
 
If you have come across interesting articles that might be a good fit for the Sound Postcard, send them along for us to feature!
 
 
 


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. 





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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.
 

Vidya Krull, PhD, CCC-A
Editor, NHCA E-News
[email protected]

Questions? Contact us at [email protected]. 
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