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HNO Aug 2023This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the frequency and type of firework-associated acoustic trauma occurring in Germany on New Year's Eve 2021, despite the ban on...
BACKGROUND
This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the frequency and type of firework-associated acoustic trauma occurring in Germany on New Year's Eve 2021, despite the ban on firework sales due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The survey period lasted 7 days, from 28 December 2021 to 03 January 2022. A questionnaire inquired date, type and treatment of trauma, sex, and age of the patient, and whether the trauma occurred when lighting or watching fireworks. Hearing impairment was classified according to the World Health Organization (WHO grades 0 to 4), and concomitant tinnitus, vertigo, or other injuries were recorded. The questionnaire was sent to the otorhinolaryngology departments of 171 hospitals in Germany.
RESULTS
Of 37 otorhinolaryngology departments, 16 reported no and 21 reported 50 patients with firework-associated acoustic trauma. Mean age was 29 ± 16 years and 41 of 50 patients were males. Of these 50 patients, 22 presented without and 28 with hearing loss, 32 reported tinnitus and 3 vertigo; 20 patients were injured when lighting fireworks and 30 when watching. Hearing impairment was classified as 14 × WHO grade 0, 5 × WHO grade 1, 4 × WHO grade 2, 2 × WHO grade 3, and 3 × WHO grade 4. Inpatient treatment was received by 8 patients and 11 suffered from concomitant burn injuries.
CONCLUSION
Despite the sales ban, some firework-associated acoustic traumas occurred at New Year 2021/2022 in Germany. Some instances led to hospitalization, but an even higher number of unreported cases can be assumed. This study can serve as a baseline for further annual surveys to raise the awareness of the danger of seemingly harmless fireworks for the individual.
Topics: Male; Humans; Adolescent; Young Adult; Adult; Middle Aged; Female; Blast Injuries; Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced; Lightning; Cross-Sectional Studies; Pandemics; Tinnitus; COVID-19
PubMed: 36847786
DOI: 10.1007/s00106-022-01260-z -
The Journal of the Acoustical Society... Jan 2023A series of articles discussing advanced diagnostics that can be used to assess noise injury and associated noise-induced hearing disorders (NIHD) was developed under...
A series of articles discussing advanced diagnostics that can be used to assess noise injury and associated noise-induced hearing disorders (NIHD) was developed under the umbrella of the United States Department of Defense Hearing Center of Excellence Pharmaceutical Interventions for Hearing Loss working group. The overarching goals of the current series were to provide insight into (1) well-established and more recently developed metrics that are sensitive for detection of cochlear pathology or diagnosis of NIHD, and (2) the tools that are available for characterizing individual noise hazard as personal exposure will vary based on distance to the sound source and placement of hearing protection devices. In addition to discussing the utility of advanced diagnostics in patient care settings, the current articles discuss the selection of outcomes and end points that can be considered for use in clinical trials investigating hearing loss prevention and hearing rehabilitation.
Topics: Humans; Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced; Noise; Deafness; Cochlea
PubMed: 36732240
DOI: 10.1121/10.0017002 -
International Journal of Environmental... Feb 2022The best protectors are those that are worn (Aram Glorig) [...].
The best protectors are those that are worn (Aram Glorig) [...].
Topics: Ear Protective Devices; Hearing; Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced; Humans
PubMed: 35206353
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19042165 -
International Journal of Environmental... Dec 2020Occupational noise exposure accounts for approximately 16% of all disabling hearing losses, but the true value and societal costs may be grossly underestimated because... (Review)
Review
Occupational noise exposure accounts for approximately 16% of all disabling hearing losses, but the true value and societal costs may be grossly underestimated because current regulations only identify hearing impairments in the workplace if exposures result in audiometric threshold shifts within a limited frequency region. Research over the past several decades indicates that occupational noise exposures can cause other serious auditory deficits such as tinnitus, hyperacusis, extended high-frequency hearing loss, and poor speech perception in noise. Beyond the audiogram, there is growing awareness that hearing loss is a significant risk factor for other debilitating and potentially life-threatening disorders such as cardiovascular disease and dementia. This review discusses some of the shortcomings and limitations of current noise regulations in the United States and Europe.
Topics: Auditory Threshold; Europe; Hearing; Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced; Humans; Noise, Occupational
PubMed: 33276507
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17238963 -
Hearing Research Nov 2022The auditory system is particularly vulnerable to blast injury due to the ear's role as a highly sensitive pressure transducer. Over the past several decades, studies... (Review)
Review
The auditory system is particularly vulnerable to blast injury due to the ear's role as a highly sensitive pressure transducer. Over the past several decades, studies have used a variety of animal models and experimental procedures to recreate blast-induced acoustic trauma. Given the developing nature of this field and our incomplete understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying blast-related auditory disturbances, an updated discussion about these studies is warranted. Here, we comprehensively review well-established blast-related auditory pathology including tympanic membrane perforation and hair cell loss. In addition, we discuss important mechanistic studies that aim to bridge gaps in our current understanding of the molecular and microstructural events underlying blast-induced cochlear, auditory nerve, brainstem, and central auditory system damage. Key findings from the recent literature include the association between endolymphatic hydrops and cochlear synaptic loss, blast-induced neuroinflammatory markers in the peripheral and central auditory system, and therapeutic approaches targeting biochemical markers of blast injury. We conclude that blast is an extreme form of noise exposure. Blast waves produce cochlear damage that appears similar to, but more extreme than, the standard noise exposure protocols used in auditory research. However, experimental variations in studies of blast-induced acoustic trauma make it challenging to compare and interpret data across studies.
Topics: Animals; Auditory Threshold; Biomarkers; Blast Injuries; Cochlea; Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced
PubMed: 35181171
DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2022.108459 -
ELife Sep 2022Neurons in sensory cortex exhibit a remarkable capacity to maintain stable firing rates despite large fluctuations in afferent activity levels. However, sudden...
Neurons in sensory cortex exhibit a remarkable capacity to maintain stable firing rates despite large fluctuations in afferent activity levels. However, sudden peripheral deafferentation in adulthood can trigger an excessive, non-homeostatic cortical compensatory response that may underlie perceptual disorders including sensory hypersensitivity, phantom limb pain, and tinnitus. Here, we show that mice with noise-induced damage of the high-frequency cochlear base were behaviorally hypersensitive to spared mid-frequency tones and to direct optogenetic stimulation of auditory thalamocortical neurons. Chronic two-photon calcium imaging from ACtx pyramidal neurons (PyrNs) revealed an initial stage of spatially diffuse hyperactivity, hyper-correlation, and auditory hyperresponsivity that consolidated around deafferented map regions three or more days after acoustic trauma. Deafferented PyrN ensembles also displayed hypersensitive decoding of spared mid-frequency tones that mirrored behavioral hypersensitivity, suggesting that non-homeostatic regulation of cortical sound intensity coding following sensorineural loss may be an underlying source of auditory hypersensitivity. Excess cortical response gain after acoustic trauma was expressed heterogeneously among individual PyrNs, yet 40% of this variability could be accounted for by each cell's baseline response properties prior to acoustic trauma. PyrNs with initially high spontaneous activity and gradual monotonic intensity growth functions were more likely to exhibit non-homeostatic excess gain after acoustic trauma. This suggests that while cortical gain changes are triggered by reduced bottom-up afferent input, their subsequent stabilization is also shaped by their local circuit milieu, where indicators of reduced inhibition can presage pathological hyperactivity following sensorineural hearing loss.
Topics: Acoustic Stimulation; Animals; Auditory Cortex; Calcium; Cochlea; Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced; Mice; Noise; Tinnitus
PubMed: 36111669
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.80015 -
Hearing Research Jun 2017Understanding the biology of the previously underappreciated sensitivity of cochlear synapses to noise insult, and its clinical consequences, is becoming a mission for a... (Review)
Review
Understanding the biology of the previously underappreciated sensitivity of cochlear synapses to noise insult, and its clinical consequences, is becoming a mission for a growing number of auditory researchers. In addition, several research groups have become interested in developing therapeutic approaches that can reverse synaptopathy and restore hearing function. One of the major challenges to realizing the potential of synaptopathy rodent models is that current clinical audiometric approaches cannot yet reveal the presence of this subtle cochlear pathology in humans. This has catalyzed efforts, both from basic and clinical perspectives, to investigate novel means for diagnosing synaptopathy and to determine the main functional consequences for auditory perception and hearing abilities. Such means, and a strong concordance between findings in pre-clinical animal models and clinical studies in humans, are important for developing and realizing therapeutics. This paper frames the key outstanding translational questions that need to be addressed to realize this ambitious goal.
Topics: Animals; Cochlea; Diagnosis, Differential; Disease Models, Animal; Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced; Humans; Noise; Predictive Value of Tests; Prevalence; Species Specificity; Synapses; Synaptic Transmission; Translational Research, Biomedical
PubMed: 28069376
DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2016.12.010 -
HNO Jan 2023This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the frequency and type of firework-associated acoustic trauma occurring in Germany on New Year's Eve 2021, despite the ban on...
BACKGROUND
This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the frequency and type of firework-associated acoustic trauma occurring in Germany on New Year's Eve 2021, despite the ban on firework sales due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The survey period lasted 7 days, from 28 December 2021 to 03 January 2022. A questionnaire inquired date, type and treatment of trauma, sex, and age of the patient, and whether the trauma occurred when lighting or watching fireworks. Hearing impairment was classified according to the World Health Organization (WHO grades 0 to 4), and concomitant tinnitus, vertigo, or other injuries were recorded. The questionnaire was sent to the otorhinolaryngology departments of 171 hospitals in Germany.
RESULTS
Of 37 otorhinolaryngology departments, 16 reported no and 21 reported 50 patients with firework-associated acoustic trauma. Mean age was 29 ± 16 years and 41 of 50 patients were males. Of these 50 patients, 22 presented without and 28 with hearing loss, 32 reported tinnitus and 3 vertigo; 20 patients were injured when lighting fireworks and 30 when watching. Hearing impairment was classified as 14 × WHO grade 0, 5 × WHO grade 1, 4 × WHO grade 2, 2 × WHO grade 3, and 3 × WHO grade 4. Inpatient treatment was received by 8 patients and 11 suffered from concomitant burn injuries.
CONCLUSION
Despite the sales ban, some firework-associated acoustic traumas occurred at New Year 2021/2022 in Germany. Some instances led to hospitalization, but an even higher number of unreported cases can be assumed. This study can serve as a baseline for further annual surveys to raise the awareness of the danger of seemingly harmless fireworks for the individual.
Topics: Male; Humans; Adolescent; Young Adult; Adult; Middle Aged; Female; Blast Injuries; Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced; Lightning; Cross-Sectional Studies; Pandemics; Tinnitus; COVID-19
PubMed: 36602581
DOI: 10.1007/s00106-022-01259-6 -
The Journal of the Acoustical Society... Nov 2019Inflammation is a complex biological response to harmful stimuli including infection, tissue damage, and toxins. Thus, it is not surprising that cochlear damage by noise... (Review)
Review
Inflammation is a complex biological response to harmful stimuli including infection, tissue damage, and toxins. Thus, it is not surprising that cochlear damage by noise includes an inflammatory component. One mechanism by which inflammation is generated by tissue damage is the activation of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). Many of the cellular receptors for DAMPS, including Toll-like receptors, NOD-like receptors, and DNA receptors, are also receptors for pathogens, and function in the innate immune system. DAMP receptors are known to be expressed by cochlear cells, and binding of molecules released by damaged cells to these receptors result in the activation of cell stress pathways. This leads to the generation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines that recruit pro-inflammatory leukocytes. Extensive evidence indicates pro-inflammatory cytokines including TNF alpha and interleukin 1 beta, and chemokines including CCL2, are induced in the cochlea after noise exposure. The recruitment of macrophages into the cochlea has also been demonstrated. These provide substrates for noise damage to be enhanced by inflammation. Evidence is provided by the effectiveness of anti-inflammatory drugs in ameliorating noise-induced hearing loss. Involvement of inflammation provides a wide variety of additional anti-inflammatory and pro-resolution agents as potential pharmacological interventions in noise-induced hearing loss.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Cytokines; Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced; Humans; Signal Transduction; Toll-Like Receptors
PubMed: 31795714
DOI: 10.1121/1.5132545 -
Hearing Research Jun 2017Noise exposure and the subsequent hearing loss are well documented aspects of military life. Numerous studies have indicated high rates of noise-induced hearing injury... (Review)
Review
Noise exposure and the subsequent hearing loss are well documented aspects of military life. Numerous studies have indicated high rates of noise-induced hearing injury (NIHI) in active-duty service men and women, and recent statistics from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs indicate a population of veterans with hearing loss that is growing at an increasing rate. In an effort to minimize hearing loss, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) updated its Hearing Conservation Program in 2010, and also has recently revised the DoD Design Criteria Standard Noise Limits (MIL-STD-1474E) which defines allowable noise levels in the design of all military acquisitions including weapons and vehicles. Even with such mandates, it remains a challenge to accurately quantify the noise exposure experienced by a Warfighter over the course of a mission or training exercise, or even in a standard work day. Noise dosimeters are intended for exactly this purpose, but variations in device placement (e.g., free-field, on-body, in/near-ear), hardware (e.g., microphone, analog-to-digital converter), measurement time (e.g., work day, 24-h), and dose metric calculations (e.g., time-weighted energy, peak levels, Auditory Risk Units), as well as noise types (e.g., continuous, intermittent, impulsive) can cause exposure measurements to be incomplete, inaccurate, or inappropriate for a given situation. This paper describes the design of a noise dosimeter capable of acquiring exposure data across tactical environments. Two generations of prototypes have been built at MIT Lincoln Laboratory with funding from the U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps. Details related to hardware, signal processing, and testing efforts are provided, along with example tactical military noise data and lessons learned from early fieldings. Finally, we discuss the continued need to prioritize personalized dosimetry in order to improve models that predict or characterize the risk of auditory damage, to integrate dosimeters with hearing-protection devices, and to inform strategies and metrics for reducing NIHI.
Topics: Acoustics; Environmental Monitoring; Equipment Design; Female; Hearing; Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced; Humans; Male; Military Personnel; Noise, Occupational; Occupational Diseases; Occupational Exposure; Predictive Value of Tests; Protective Factors; Risk Factors; Sound Spectrography; Time Factors
PubMed: 27876480
DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2016.11.008