Photo By Senior Airman Hussein Enaya | A U.S. Airman, assigned to the 1st Special Operations Civil Engineer Squadron...... read more read more
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Hearing loss among service members and Department of Defense civilians was down slightly in 2023, according to the Defense Health Agency’s Hearing Center of Excellence.
The report, “Hearing Health Surveillance Data Review-Calendar Year 2023,” includes data from DOD personnel in hearing conservation programs across all military departments.
The number of all service members with hearing loss decreased slightly to 12.0% in 2023 compared to 2022, and civilians with hearing loss was 34.7% for the same period. Active duty service members had the lowest rates of hearing loss in 2023 (10.7%) compared to the National Guard (16.2%) and Reserve (15.2%).
For DOD, good hearing is essential for being fit and ready for duty.
“Healthy hearing means service members can clearly hear commands or instructions, as well as hear a nearby enemy. Wearing hearing protection that is fitted to each person and their job also keeps their hearing healthy,” said Dr. Theresa Schulz, the center’s hearing loss prevention chief.
Hearing protection fits right when it:
• Fits tightly inside or over your ears
• Feels comfortable
• Blocks out noise
Reducing Hearing Loss
According to Schulz, testing how well a hearing protector fits a person can help reduce hearing loss compared to when the protection doesn’t fit correctly.
DOD continues to work on reducing hearing loss, Schulz added. It is conducting hearing protection fit testing to make sure hearing protection fits correctly. She said military and DOD civilians who are part of hearing conservation programs get yearly hearing tests, hearing protection fittings, and education to protect their hearing.
| Date Taken: | 05.23.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.23.2025 10:11 |
| Story ID: | 498811 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 73 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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