4 October 2018

Virtual reality of a child with hearing loss

"A lot of the families say they don't want their children to wear
devices because it makes them look different and the kids will
bully them. Often our reply is, Well, if they don't have hearing
aids, that's setting them up for being bullied because they will
sound different, they will act different, they won't be a part of
the groups because it will be too difficult, their speech and
language will be delayed.”

Getting hearing back

Poor diet is one factor for declining ear health. Many Aboriginal
families, especially in remote communities, only shop for food
once a fortnight or occasionally. They choose food they can
keep in the freezer which excludes fresh fruits or vegetables.

Role of aids in managing hearing loss

Hearing aids provide the required level of frequency-specific
amplification to compensate for the loss of volume resulting from
a hearing loss. They will automatically adapt to suit different
sounds and different listening environments. The competitive
market ensures that hearing aid technology is continually
evolving with regards to speech in noise processing and
connectivity to other devices such as TV and mobile phones.

Hearing loss in NZ defence force

The New Zealand Defence Force admits it has an issue with
hearing loss, especially in the army where exposure to high
intensity weapon fire is a hazard of the job.

Risks and limitations of Cochlear implants

Surgical risks, certain medical procedures, cochlear implants and
Meningitis, problems with internal components, static electricity,
childhood activities.

We acknowledge the traditional owners of country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them
and their cultures, and to elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the challenge to overcome the high levels of ear health issues among first Australians.
Virtual reality experience replicates life as a child
with hearing loss
By Harriet Tatham for ABC Radio Sydney

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-25/virtual-reality-replicates-life-with-hearing-loss/10299408

For anybody with hearing loss, articulating the isolation it causes is almost impossible. For a child,
it's even harder. But a new virtual reality (VR) experience, designed to immerse users in a
playground and classroom as a child with hearing loss, is helping to foster empathy in parents,
teachers and other students.

"They didn't think I could hear so little," eight-year-old Tyler Potaka said of his peers.

Tyler has bilateral mild to moderate hearing loss, meaning he has hearing loss in both ears.

For Tyler’s mother Philippa, the experience wasn't quite so matter-of-fact. "It was very emotional
to put your mind and your head and your body and transplant into your own child and to
experience what they see and hear, or don't hear. You really are able to have more empathy,
you're able to sympathise with not being able to hear."
The VR project was launched by The Shepherd Centre and filmed at a Newtown primary school.

Dr Anne Fulcher, principal listening and spoken word specialist at the Shepherd Centre, said she
believed the technology was so powerful that it could lead to better clinical outcomes. "It's
wonderful to help new parents to see the impact of hearing loss and why it's so important to help
them with amplification and early intervention as soon as possible," Dr Fulcher said.

Photo: Dr Anne Fulcher believes the VR experience will improve outcomes for children with hearing loss.
(ABC Radio Sydney: Harriet Tatham)

And the benefit came from empathy, which would encourage parents and carers to intervene
earlier, she said. "A lot of the families say they don't want their children to wear devices because
it makes them look different and the kids will bully them.

"Often our reply is, 'Well, if they don't have hearing aids, that's setting them up for being bullied
because they will sound different, they will act different, they won't be a part of the groups
because it will be too difficult, their speech and language will be delayed; so it's setting them up
for all types of social and long-term poor outcomes'."

While the technology is offered at The Shepherd Centre, Dr Fulcher said the team would work
towards sharing it with schools and government bodies.

Photo: The experience initially puts you in the shoes of somebody with moderate hearing loss before
changing to somebody who uses amplification and can hear normally. Tyler is pictured with The Shepherd
centre CEO Dr Jim Hungerford (ABC Radio Sydney: Harriet Tatham)

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-25/virtual-reality-replicates-life-with-hearing-loss/10299408
Getting hearing back
Poor diet is one factor for declining ear health. Many Aboriginal families, especially in remote
communities, only shop for food once a fortnight or occasionally. They choose food they can keep
in the freezer which excludes fresh fruits or vegetables.

When doctors supplied families with subsidised vegetables they watched students’ hearing return,
to the point that a formerly introduced amplification system could be abandoned, antibiotics cut
down, and infections decline. “It is very simple and was cheaper than buying antibiotics,” said
one doctor. “Antibiotics cost $100 for a bottle but 100 [dollars] buys you a lot of fruit.”

The only hurdle to delivering more such programs is funding.

Edie Wright, a regional consultant for Aboriginal education in the Kimberley, implemented the
‘BBC’ program. Each morning, the kids would “breathe, blow and cough” and complete a set of
exercises to enable postural drainage. “We reduced our ENT [ear, nose and throat] referrals by
70%,’’ she says.

For others, the hearing damage is permanent. They need

hearing aids.

Children need to hear well a long time before school starts.

Sadly, the average age of first hearing aid fitting for
Aboriginal children is 5 or 6 years, which is very late in
relation to speech and language development and school
readiness. About 24% of non-Aboriginal children are fitted
for the first time aged under one year, compared with only
Poor ear health starts in
5% of Aboriginal children. childhood with up to 95% of
Aboriginal children suffering from
Modern hearing aids don’t need to be ‘uncool’ and middle ear infections—at four
embarrassing. Doctors can fit a subtle device into a cap of years the auditory link to the
the child’s choosing which they have to wear in the brain has formed. Photo:
classroom. Does it work? Vox_Efx, Flickr

A survey of 200 Aboriginal hearing aid-wearing adults from remote, rural and urban communities
found that:
96% were ‘happy’ or ‘very happy’ with their aids,
86% enjoyed time with family and friends ‘a lot’ or ‘quite a bit’ more
86% said they were ‘a lot’ or ‘quite a bit better’ at doing business for themselves
75% said they did not feel shame when wearing their hearing aids

www.CreativeSpirits.info
Aboriginal culture - Health - Ear health and hearing loss
https://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/health/ear-health-and-hearing-loss#ixzz5SjUrmgp1
A message from Australian Hearing

For over 70 years, Australian Hearing has played a significant role in providing world leading
research and hearing services for the wellbeing of all Australians.

We value the support of our clients and partners, which is why we wish to inform One in Six
readers of concerns raised by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
(ACCC) regarding the promotion of our Hearing Help service, and our letters to clients
inviting them to renew their annual maintenance arrangements.

The concerns relate to:

• two Facebook posts that Australian Hearing made in September 2017 that indicated that
Hearing Help, an online service set up by Australian Hearing in 2016, provided
independent hearing services when Hearing Help is owned and operated by Australian
Hearing

• two Facebook posts in November 2017 which indicated that Hearing Help was
government funded when, in fact, Hearing Help is funded by Australian Hearing, and

• letters sent by Australian Hearing to clients in relation to the renewal of their annual
hearing device maintenance arrangements, which may have created the impression that
renewal of the arrangement was mandatory when it was entirely optional.

We have taken the ACCC’s concerns seriously. This includes removing the Facebook posts
in February on notification of the concerns, and we commenced sending an updated
maintenance renewal letter to our clients in July.

We want to apologise to anyone who may have been misled by our Facebook posts and by
the wording of our annual maintenance renewal letters. We are also writing to our clients
inviting them to contact us if they have any questions regarding their maintenance
agreement.

Our clients are at the heart of everything we do and we remain absolutely committed to
continuing to help the many, many thousands of Australian children, pensioners, veterans
and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders with hearing loss.

Anyone who has any questions regarding these matters can contact Australian Hearing on
1300 792 416 or email clientsupport@hearing.com.au.
Children, parents and NDIS
A workshop held recently by the National Disability Insurance Scheme Agency was an opportunity
to hear from the experiences of parents of Deaf and hearing impaired children, and other
stakeholders.

A key theme of the workshop was the need for parents to have access to a consistent point of
contact who can support them through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) pathway
experience.

Following feedback from the workshop the Agency has told us they have done some more work
across their network to further emphasise the support role of the Early Childhood Early
Intervention (ECEI) Partner.

The ECEI Partner supports parents through the NDIS pathway experience and will:
• Support families to link with their chosen services as needed, and when they are ready
• Work with families with agreement to provide information about all communication
approaches
• Be a family’s consistent point of contact to help guide and support them through the NDIS
pathway experience
• Ensure that they take the time to explain that the NDIS Plan can be started when each
family is ready, and is flexible, and can be reviewed
• Support a family as needed to connect with providers

Another key feedback theme from parents was the importance of being able to deal with well-
trained NDIS staff, who had a good knowledge about hearing impairment and deafness.

The National Disability Insurance Agency has advised us that additional training was undertaken
by both Agency and ECEI Partners in regard to hearing impairment, and with more work being
done to progress further deafness awareness training for Agency staff and partners.

The new NDIS hearing pathway for children 0-6 years of age is now operating around Australia.

For more information about the NDIS: Phone 1800 800 110 or go to www.ndis.gov.au
The role of aids in managing hearing loss
By Myriam Westcott

Hearing loss, especially undiagnosed hearing loss can have a profound effect on the patient’s
quality of life.

In children, a fluctuating hearing loss from recurrent middle ear fluid/infection can affect language
development, selective attention development, communication skills and delay maturation of the
central auditory pathway.

Referral for an auditory processing assessment should be considered in children who are not
progressing well in developing literacy skills and/or who have difficulty hearing in competing noise,
maintaining attention to instructions and conversation or remembering auditory information.

Universal hearing screening of newborns was implemented over 10 years ago across Australia.
Early identification of a hearing loss means a child can begin early intervention, have access to
speech therapy as early as possible and families can get appropriate advice and support right from
the beginning, giving babies with a hearing loss the best start in life.

It is important to recognise that the hearing screening excludes babies with a mild high frequency
hearing impairment. This population of babies will be very small, but it is likely their hearing loss
will be progressive and have a functional impact once they reach school age.

A sudden onset sensorineural hearing loss (sudden sensorineural hearing loss) is considered a
medical emergency because of the short window of time (two weeks) where steroid medication
may be effective. Associated symptoms can include vertigo, tinnitus and a sensation of aural
fullness. These symptoms can be readily misdiagnosed as due to Eustachian tube dysfunction.

In older adults, presbycusis (age-related hearing loss) is the most common cause of acquired
sensorineural hearing loss and is often slowly progressive. The degree of hearing loss and the
age at which presbycusis develops tends to run in families so there is a strong genetic
predisposition.

Other factors such as noise damage, ototoxic medication and any health conditions which affect
the blood supply to the inner ear can cause or contribute to an acquired hearing loss.

PREVALENCE AND SELF AWARENESS

The prevalence of hearing loss, in the better ear, was estimated to be 3.6 million people in
Australia in 2017, or 14.5% of the population. This represents a 38.5% increase in estimated
prevalence from 2005 to 2017. Prevalence rates increase with age: 74% of people aged 71+ are
estimated to have a hearing loss: 87.7% of men and 63.8% of women. The hearing loss
represents mild to profound hearing loss.
There is a low incidence of hearing aid use among those with a hearing loss. In Australia, 21% of
working age people with a hearing loss use hearing aids.

A mild sensorineural hearing loss is often not apparent to the person affected. A moderate and
even severe high frequency sensorineural hearing loss – the most common pattern of acquired
hearing loss – is also not readily self-diagnosed.

Audiologists regularly see patients referred at the urging of their family members, who are at the
receiving end of the impaired communication resulting from an unmanaged hearing loss. Denial
can be a factor, but more broadly a slowly progressive hearing loss develops insidiously, making it
difficult to self-diagnose. A mild/moderate hearing loss is often not apparent during a 1:1 clinical
or medical encounter in a quiet room.

The degree of hearing loss is merely a first step in identifying whether hearing aid use is
recommended. Not all patients with a mild hearing loss need to use hearing aids and may benefit
from other assistive listening devices.

The functional requirements vary from person to person and there are many factors to consider,
in particular the impact of a hearing loss on effective communication, fatigue, cognitive function,
social connection, and employment opportunities.

COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT AND DEMENTIA

An undiagnosed hearing loss in the elderly can be confused with cognitive impairment. An
unmanaged hearing loss has been shown to increase the risk of developing cognitive
impairment/dementia and the pace of cognitive decline.

The Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention, and Care published a report in
2017 showing the results of a meta-analysis of a large set of potential and preventable risk factors
for dementia.

The commission analysed 13 studies investigating the link between hearing loss and risk of
cognitive decline and dementia. They reasoned that hearing loss may add to the cognitive load of
an aging brain. It may also lead to social isolation, which is associated with faster cognitive
decline and depression. The commission concluded that mid-life hearing loss is a significant but
potentially modifiable risk factor for dementia.

Available evidence supports the effect of hearing aid use in protecting against cognitive decline. 4
By partially restoring communication abilities, hearing aids may serve as a buffer against social
and emotional loneliness and depression, thereby improving the patients’ mood, boosting the
quality and quantity of their social interactions, and enabling their participation in cognitively-
stimulating activities.

In hearing impaired patients with Alzheimer’s disease, no significant effect of hearing aid use on
their cognitive status was observed after six months of follow-up. Hearing aid use in this patient
population needs to be considered on a case by case basis. Patients with any form of dementia,
who have not worn hearing aids before, can find the challenges involved in accepting, wearing
and maintaining hearing aids, as well as adapting to hearing aid amplification for the first time,
difficult.

Those with an established history of successful hearing aid use often continue to do well, although
may need support with regard to handling and maintenance.

SCREENING AND ASSESSMENT

Early screening and reframing management of hearing loss as a lifestyle intervention may yield
significant benefits.

A hearing screening test for all patients should be considered as part of their ?75 year older
person’s health assessment. A dementia work-up should include a diagnostic assessment of
hearing status and communication function.

Patients can be referred to an audiologist under a Chronic Disease Management plan to receive a
rebate from Medicare. For those who require GP referral to an ENT specialist or neurologist,
Medicare rebates are available for audiological assessment – either by the specialist practice or by
an independent audiologist at the specialist’s request.

In Australia, a Hearing Services Program is provided and administered by the Home Support &
Hearing Branch / In Home Aged Care Division Department of Health. This program funds hearing
assessments and hearing aid fitting/maintenance vouchers to eligible people. Eligible persons hold
a Pensioner Concession Card, or are a member of the Australian Defence Force, or are a National
Disability Insurance Scheme participant with hearing needs referred by a planner from the
National Disability Insurance Agency.

Although the Hearing Services Program serves some people aged 25-64 years, most people in this
age group need to purchase hearing aids privately.

There’s no recommended retail price on hearing aids. Dispensers can charge what they wish.

REHABILITATION AND DISPENSING

Communication is a complex process, and the fitting of appropriate hearing aids is only one part
of an effective aural rehabilitation program. To ensure patients obtain a successful hearing aid
fitting, a detailed diagnostic hearing loss and communication assessment with thorough follow-up
rehabilitative support are essential.

Hearing aids are delicate devices and the ear canal is a hostile environment to in-ear circuitry.
Ongoing and readily accessible maintenance support is essential.

A broad range of hearing aids is available, with seven major companies to choose from in
Australia. It is incorrect to consider that modern hearing aids need minimal service and
adjustments compared to older hearing technology. Despite the rapidly changing improvements in
hearing aid technology, too many hearing aids are used infrequently in the wider community,
often with disappointment at the level of benefit obtained.

Hearing aid technology and programming software have become increasingly sophisticated, so
that the skills required by the clinician in fine-tuning hearing aids for a personalised, optimal result
have substantially increased.

No formal regulation of the minimum level of training is required by hearing aid dispensers in
Australia, so protection for the consumer is lacking. Under the Hearing Services Program,
providers can be business owners without clinical qualifications in audiology or audiometry and so
need not belong to any professional body that sets rules of conduct.

Practitioners under the Hearing Services Program may be audiometrists who hold TAFE diploma
qualifications or university-trained audiologists. In fact, as audiology is not currently a registered
profession, anyone can call themselves an audiologist.

The consumer alone rarely has a sophisticated enough level of understanding of the dispensing
process to protect them from inadequate hearing assessment, inappropriate advice about hearing
aid selection, uncomfortable fit, inadequate application of the technology, overcharging and lack
of rehabilitative support.

There is no recommended retail price on hearing aids, and each dispenser is free to charge what
they wish.

The recently issued report on the Hearing Health and Wellbeing of Australians provides evidence
that the existing system of hearing services funding and service delivery has failed to protect the
public.

This report, along with an ACCC report in March 2017 into the sale of hearing aids and media
reports (e.g: ABC’s The Checkout) have identified unethical and unsafe practices that take place
under the current system. Bonuses to clinicians based on hearing aid sales have been widespread.

University-trained audiologists carry out hearing and vestibular assessments, diagnose hearing
disorders and prescribe hearing treatment plans – which may include hearing aids or a cochlear
implant. They have the diverse range of skills and training to be able to comprehensively apply
this technology.

Being clinically certified by the peak professional body Audiology Australia requires meeting
rigorous education and training requirements, and following their code of conduct, continuing
professional development program and recency of practice requirements. All current Audiology
Australia Accredited Audiologists are listed on this register:
https://audiology.asn.au/Consumer_Hub/Register_of_Audiology_Australia_Accredited_Audiologist

Independent Audiologists Australia (IAA) is a not for profit incorporated association supporting
clinical practices at least 50% owned by university qualified audiologists. Members agree to abide
by a strict code of ethics and select hearing devices from all suppliers in Australia, so are not
affiliated to a specific hearing aid manufacturer.

Audiometrists can opt to abide by the requirements and standards of practice, rules of conduct
and practice standards set by either the Australian College of Audiology or the Hearing Aid
Audiometrist Society of Australia, recently renamed the Hearing Aid Audiology Society of Australia.

Hearing aids cannot totally overcome the perceptual distortions produced by a sensorineural
hearing loss. They are an aid, not a cure. Patients and their families should be made aware of
both the advantages and the limitations of hearing aid use generally, as well as with their specific
hearing aid choice.

People who rarely communicate in groups or significant levels of background noise may not
require a sophisticated and expensive level of hearing aid technology. The level of technological
sophistication should be matched to the patient’s communication needs and budget.

Cosmetic concerns, ease of handling/dexterity and degree of hearing loss will influence the choice
of size and appearance of the hearing aids. Inappropriate hearing aid choice can increase the level
of hearing disability if the patient cannot manage the complexity or size of their hearing aids.

Hearing aid companies generally offer a period ranging up to 90 days after purchase to
return/exchange hearing aids if the patient is not satisfied with their choice. In my opinion, a
dispenser should indicate the reasons for recommending a particular manufacturer and routinely
include a return/exchange option.

NEURAL ADAPTATION TO AMPLIFICATION

The central auditory processing of sound includes the subconscious selection and highlighting of
sounds that are important to us. Unimportant sounds are heard, but not fully perceived, unless we
consciously pay attention to them. Because of the gradual onset of most sensorineural hearing
losses, a person with a hearing loss will insidiously change their concept of “normal” hearing.

With an initial hearing aid fitting, the patient’s concept of “normal” hearing will need to be
redefined and the process of subconscious selection will need to be re-learnt, which can take up
to several months. Unimportant sounds will seem both loud and unnaturally prominent through
their hearing aids at first. This is a major reason for hearing aid rejection in an unprepared
patient and rehabilitative guidance/support during this period is essential for successful hearing
aid fitting. Encouraging patients to wear their hearing aids most of the time will ensure that their
concept of “normal” hearing will be successfully redefined.

Gradually easing patients towards the level of optimum amplification for their hearing loss will
help acceptance of amplification. The programming software with most brands allows for a series
of adaptation levels to be set up in the aids, so the clinician can readily carry this out.
BENEFITS AND LIMITATIONS
The competitive market ensures that hearing aid technology is continually evolving with regards to
speech in noise processing and connectivity to other devices such as TV, mobile phones et
cetera.

Hearing aids provide the required level of frequency-specific amplification to compensate for the
loss of volume resulting from a hearing loss. They will automatically adapt to suit different sounds
and different listening environments.

Inner ear damage and neural changes with a significant sensorineural hearing loss will cause a
loss of clarity, so that hearing of speech will be distorted. Hearing aids provide a clear undistorted
sound to a patient’s ears, but the sound is distorted as it passes through the ears and neural
pathways. This distortion reduces the ability to discriminate speech through competing noise.
Contemporary hearing aids help highlight a dominant speech sound but cannot fully separate a
voice the person wants to hear from a competing sound.

Additionally, effective localisation of sound is often impaired, so rapid communication in a large

group where the person cannot source who is speaking is challenging, even with optimally fitted
hearing aids.

As a result of reduced speech clarity, a hearing-impaired person has to concentrate harder than
someone with normal hearing to follow a conversation even while wearing their hearing aids. This
is tiring, and concentration will be further affected by fatigue, stress et cetera. If the person
speaking has rapid or unclear speech, additional difficulties will be experienced making sense of a
conversation. If the hearing impaired person hasn’t noticed someone is speaking to them, they
may miss the start of a conversation.

If distortion reaches a level where amplification provides very little speech discrimination ability,
hearing aids are of little benefit and cochlear implantation may be appropriate. Neural adaptation
to electrical stimulation follows very similar processes to amplification, although may take a little
longer.

Overall, a GP plays an integral part of the team in managing hearing loss in both children and
adults. From initially suspecting a diagnosis to referral and regular reviews of a hearing-impaired
patient a GP and audiologist can significantly improve a patient’s quality of life.

The author of this article, Myriam Westcott is an audiologist and

director of Dineen Westcott Moore Audiology in Heidelberg, Victoria. She
has specialised interests in aural rehabilitation, tinnitus, hyperacusis, acoustic
shock disorder and central auditory processing.

From the Medical Republic, http://medicalrepublic.com.au/role-aids-managing-

hearing-loss/16664
Cochlear implant risks and limitations
Surgical risks
• Slight chance of damage to the facial nerve or the chorda tympani nerve – nerves that pass
through the middle ear space.
• Risk from anesthesia needed for the implant surgery is slightly higher in infants and young
children compared to adults
• Some patients experience reduced balance function for a short period immediately following
surgery
• A small percentage of implant patients have reported an increase of tinnitus (ringing in the
ears) after the surgery compared with their previous experience

Cochlear implant recipients are unable to undergo certain medical procedures

• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) testing. Unless the recipient has an implant with a
removable magnet or unless a lower magnetic field strength (measured in Tesla) is used for
the imaging, this testing cannot be performed
• Electrosurgery or diathermy in the vicinity of the implanted portion of the cochlear implant
• Electroconvulsive therapy
• Ionizing radiation therapy

Cochlear implants and Meningitis - children with cochlear implants have a higher risk of
contracting the type of meningitis caused by Streptococcus pneumonia (pneumococcus) than
children who do not have cochlear implants.

Problems with cochlear implant internal components - there is a chance of a problem

occurring with the internal portion of the cochlear implant system after it is implanted. Based on
reports from the current cochlear implant manufacturers, this is a rather rare occurrence.

Static electricity - static electricity can potentially damage the electrical components of the
implant system or erase programs saved to the speech processor. To prevent it:
• Remove the speech processor while the child is playing on plastic slides or plastic ball pits.
• Avoid contact with the speech processor until you have touched your child. By touching your
child before you reach for the speech processor you will ground yourself and avoid passing
static electricity to the processor.
Your audiologist may offer other suggestions to protect a speech processor from static electricity.

Cochlear implant and childhood activities - children with cochlear implants can participate in
all common childhood activities. The implanted portion of the cochlear implant system is
unaffected by running, swimming, or any normal activity. Precautions include:
• Wear a helmet when bicycling, skateboarding or roller-skating to help prevent damage to the
internal device in the event of a fall.
• Remove the processor when swimming or engaging in other activities where the external parts
could get wet. However, there are water-resistant speech processors, and one manufacturer
has a processor that is ‘swimmable’.

https://www.babyhearing.org/devices/risks-and-limitations
Deafness Forum chair David Brady and members of the ACT deafness community put on a game
of silent netball for federal parliamentarians and their advisers at Parliament House in Canberra to
give them an insight into the challenges for people who might not fit neatly into a hearing world.

Hearing players wore industrial ear muffs. The referee did not have a whistle and all instructions
were made with gestures. It was a fun, sometimes chaotic activity with a serious message.

Among the players were Senator Jenny Macalister, Joanne Ryan MP for Lalor and Sharon Claydon
MP for Newcastle.

One of the most enthusiastic supporters, Victorian Senator Bridget McKenzie, deputy leader of the
Nationals, couldn’t play this year because of meetings at the time about the trouble in her party’s
leadership.

After the game, David Brady spoke about the need to create a national action plan to address the
social and economic costs of deafness and hearing loss.

Deafness Forum’s David Brady, Senator Bridget McKenzie and rugby league legend Wally Lewis.
NZ Defence Force admits it has an issue with hearing loss
The New Zealand Defence Force admits it has an issue with hearing loss, especially in the army
where exposure to high intensity weapon fire is a hazard of the job.

A major review has delivered a series of recommendations to deal with the increasing problem.
Training has been a particular area of concern in the military.

"There are a number of military personnel exposed to excessive noise," Lieutenant Colonel Phil
Wright told 1 NEWS.

Six per cent of soldiers most recently tested were found to have significant hearing loss, but the
NZDF says age could be as big a contributor to that as noise exposure.

The review also found hearing protection issued to personnel does meet current regulations.
Previously, personnel had hearing tests every five years, now the recommendation is tests be
conducted annually for at risk personnel in keeping with WorkSafe guidelines.

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/nz-defence-force-admits-has-issue-hearing-loss

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