Industrial team
Is the employees hearing loss a disease or a caused at work noise induced hearing loss?
First do a pure tone test that is classified. Classification can determine if the hearing loss is a conductive or noise induced hearing loss.
Changing Minimum employment needs and its relationship to hearing
The mild, moderate, severe and even some profound problems went undetected until school age because the economy was not a knowledge-based economy and poor communication skills did not impact the most part, on employability and acceptance in society. There were jobs for even the slowest learners and the most disruptive often went into the “army” to be straightened out
Late Stage Diagnosis of Hearing Loss, not Late Onset of hearing loss negatively impacts hearing healthcare
Late-stage diagnosis of hearing loss is likely the most significant negative factor impacting acceptance of hearing loss and hearing aids and getting early treatment. The assumption that hearing loss is late-onset or can be simply treated with surgery or medication is an important misconception to overcome in hearing healthcare. This concept of late-onset of hearing loss has significantly contributed to the perception that hearing loss and hearing aids are only for old people. The majority of non-reversible hearing problems start early when the pattern of change is present within the normal level of hearing. This can happen long before 40 but is just not dealt with until much later in life when communication problems are noticed by almost everyone even without a hearing test.
Changing Minimum employment needs and its relationship to hearing
The mild, moderate, severe and even some profound problems went undetected until school age because the economy was not a knowledge-based economy and poor communication skills did not impact the most part, on employability and acceptance in society. There were jobs for even the slowest learners and the most disruptive often went into the “army” to be straightened out. The separation of those best suited for Technical/Trade and those best suited for Knowledge-based paths within education were commonplace.
Adult Hearing Loss is Late Staged Diagnosed it is not Late Onset
The misconception hearing loss only happens in old age when communication gets difficult is an important misconception to overcome in order to improve hearing healthcare.
When late staged diagnoses other symptoms are impacting reduced auditory communication such as cogitative skills, reduced visual acuity, reduced tactile response, reduced fine motor controls, reduced reaction time, reduction in short term memory, social withdrawal, reduced motivation and resistance to change, decreased physical mobility, decrease in income, limited social interaction, only associating with people with similar problems, general mistrust of offers of help, mistrust of advertising, reduced access to routine travel, acceptance of disease states as inevitable, acceptance of missed communication as normal, acceptance of isolation as part of aging, limited family contact. All these factors can negatively impact hearing healthcare success in old age, so start testing early and test often.
