Skip to main content

Military Health System

Test of Sitewide Banner

This is a test of the sitewide banner capability. In the case of an emergency, site visitors would be able to visit the news page for addition information.

The Military is Reporting Far Fewer Hearing Problems

Image of Soldiers wear hearing protection while firing an M3 multi-role anti-armor antipersonnel weapon system during live-fire training at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Sept. 15, 2021. . Soldiers wear hearing protection while firing an M3 multi-role anti-armor antipersonnel weapon system during live-fire training at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Sept. 15, 2021.

Hearing loss in the Department of Defense continues to decrease for service members and civilians enrolled in hearing conservation programs, according to a recent report from the Defense Health Agency Hearing Center of Excellence.

The Hearing Health Surveillance Data Review, Military Hearing Conservation Report for fiscal year 2020 indicates an overall decreasing trend of hearing impairment for all service components.

According to Dr. Theresa Schulz, HCE prevention branch chief, data show the number of hearing impaired service members fell from 18% in 2013 to 14.5% in 2020. Report findings also reveal the percent of noise-exposed civilians with hearing impairment continues to show a gradual decrease over the last several years. The percent of noise-exposed civilians with hearing impairment decreased from 46.1% in FY13 to 39.3% in fiscal year 2020.

Reducing hearing loss is a centerpiece of DOD's policy to protect military personnel and noise-exposed civilians from hearing loss caused by occupational and operational noise exposure through a continuing, effective, and comprehensive hearing conservation program. The policy also strives to reduce hazardous occupational and operational noise exposure to enhance mission readiness, communication, and safety.

Those enrolled in a hearing conservation program get annual hearing tests, hearing protection fittings, and hearing conservation education sessions to reduce noise-induced hearing loss, according to Schulz. "These educational opportunities are important touch-points for achieving hearing readiness," she said.

Schulz emphasized how hearing readiness remains a critical component of ongoing hearing conservation efforts administered by the service components. "Hearing readiness is a process to ensure service members have the necessary hearing capability and properly fitted hearing protection devices for mission readiness and deployment," she said.

Schulz noted each DOD component establishes, maintains, and evaluates the effectiveness of their own respective hearing conservation programs, which vary by service component.

"There are differences in how each service manages their programs," explained Schulz. "The Army and Marine Corps take a total force approach and provide annual hearing tests to all service members, while the Air Force and Navy conduct annual hearing tests on service members who are routinely exposed to hazardous noise."

The report consolidated measures of effectiveness from all service components, and reviewed service level efforts to prevent hearing loss and improve hearing health of those enrolled in DOD hearing conservation programs. Report data was jointly developed by the DOD Hearing Conservation Working Group; the United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, Public Health and Preventive Medicine Department, Epidemiology Consult Service Division; and the DHA Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch, Air Force Satellite at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

According to Schulz, hearing impairment can be further reduced by implementing the Comprehensive Hearing Health Program, developed by HCE. "This is a triad approach conducted by each service to educate, protect, and monitor service members and civilians who are routinely exposed to hazardous noise. Together with hearing conservation programs we will hopefully continue to see declining hearing loss across the DOD," she said.

Read the full report.

You also may be interested in...

DODI 6200.03: Public Health Emergency Management within the Department of Defense

Policy

In accordance with DOD Directive (DODD) 5124.02, this issuance: • Establishes policy, assigns responsibilities, and provides direction to ensure mission assurance and readiness for public health emergencies caused by all-hazards incidents. • Defines a public health emergency within the DOD to include the occurrence or imminent threat of an illness or health condition that poses a high probability of a significant number of deaths, serious or long-term disabilities, widespread exposure to an infectious or toxic agent, overwhelmed health care resources, or severe degradation of mission capabilities. • Provides DOD policy for management of public health emergencies, in accordance with DOD Instruction (DODI) 6055.17, through integration with the DOD Emergency Management (EM) Program. • Outlines the public health emergency health powers, roles, and responsibilities of the military installation commander, including the authority for restriction of movement. • Details procedures for internal and external notifications of DOD-declared public health emergencies. • Clarifies the PHEM roles and responsibilities of the medical treatment facility (MTF) commander or director, the public health emergency officer (PHEO), and the medical emergency manager (MEM).

  • Identification #: N/A
  • Date: 11/25/2019
  • Type: Instructions
  • Topics: Public Health

DoD Instruction 6490.13: Comprehensive Policy on Traumatic Brain Injury-Related Neurocognitive Assessments by the Military Services

Policy

This instruction establishes policy, assigns responsibilities, and prescribes standard elements, pursuant to section 722 of Public Law 111-383, requiring the implementation of a comprehensive neurocognitive assessment policy in the Military Services.

Embedded Fragment Analyses

Policy

Clarification of the Requirement for Continuation of Semi-Annual Reporting of Results of Embedded Fragment Analyses

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Instruction: Post-Deployment Policy for 21-day Controlled Monitoring

Policy

This instruction provides policy and guidance for the Services in the conduct of 21-day controlled monitoring of Service members and volunteering DoD civilian employees returning from the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak area in West Africa.

  • Identification #: CJCSI 4220.01
  • Date: 11/10/2014
  • Type: Instructions
  • Topics: Public Health | Ebola

Pre-Deployment, Deployment, and Post-Deployment Training, Screening, and Monitoring Guidance for Department of Defense Personnel Deployed to Ebola Outbreak Areas

Policy

Department of Defense (DoD) personnel (Service members and civilian employees)deployed to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defined Ebola outbreak areas will complete pre and post-deployment screening and training requirements outlined in this memorandum and supplemented by United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM) guidance.

Addendum to Guidance on the Establishment of Department of Defense Standardization for Ordering and Procurement of Hearing Devices Prostheses 13-006

Policy

This memorandum clarifies procedures relating to Health Affairs' "Guidance on the Establishment of Department of Defense Standardization for Ordering and Procurement of Hearing Devices/Prosthesis," dated August 15, 2013, which remains in effect.

Detecting and Reporting DoD Cases of Ebola Virus Disease Infection

Policy

Guidance as of 17 OCT 2014 from the Department of Defese (AFHSC)for Detecting and Reporting DoD Cases of Ebola Virus Disease Infection

Influenza Surveillance Program

Policy

Sentinel Sites for the 2014-2015 Influenza Surveillance Program

Deployment Limiting Mental Disorders and Psychotrophic Medications

Policy

Policy memorandum about Deployment Limiting Mental Disorders and Psychotrophic Medications

DoD Instruction Number 6490.11: DoD Policy Guidance for Management of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury/Concussion in the Deployed Setting

Policy

This instruction establishes policy, assigns responsibilities, and provides procedures on the management of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), also known as concussion, in the deployed setting.

Access to Medical Services Who were Exposed to Rabies in Combat Theater

Policy

U.S. Navy/U.S. Marine Corps COSC Policy Update

Policy

Mental Health Assessments for Members of the Armed Forces Deployed in Connection with a Contingency Operation

Policy

Clinical Policy for the Administration of the Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed

Policy

Pandemic Influenza: Clinical and Public Health Guidelines for the MHS

Policy

Based on pandemic influenza clinical guidelines published by the Department of Health and Human Services, this publication focuses on the specific threat from Novel influenza A (H1N1) virus, and includes patient evaluation and management, occupational and community health and specifics to the deployed setting.

  • Identification #: 09-012
  • Date: 6/3/2009
  • Type: Guidelines
  • Topics: Public Health
Page 1 of 2 , showing items 1 - 15
First < 1 2 > Last 
Refine your search
Last Updated: January 31, 2023
Follow us on Instagram Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on YouTube Sign up on GovDelivery