The World Health Organization estimates that nearly 360 million people have moderate to profound<unk>  loss from all causes. Rates of<unk>  loss has traditionally been attributed to occupational or firearm-related exposure, as well as recreational exposure. The World Health Organization estimated in 2015 that 1.1 billion young people are at risk for<unk>  loss caused by unsafe listening practices. The over-exposure to excessive loud<unk>  is partially attributed to recreational exposure, such as the use of personal audio devices with music at high volumes for long durations, or social settings such as bars, entertainment and sporting events. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) developed the ISO 1999 standards for the estimation of<unk>  thresholds and<unk><unk><unk>  impairment. They used data from two<unk>  and<unk>  study databases, one presented by Burns and Robinson<unk>  and<unk>  in Industry, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1970) and by Passchier-Vermeer (1968). As race and ethnicity are some of the factors that can affect the expected distribution of pure-tone<unk>  thresholds several other national or regional datasets exist, from Sweden, Norway, South Korea, the United States and Spain. In the United States<unk>  is one of the health outcomes measure by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a survey research program conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics. It examines health and nutritional status of adults and children in the United States. While there is no perfect way to pinpoint<unk>  loss from excessive<unk> , researchers look for audiometric notches in a<unk>  test—dips in the ability to hear certain frequencies—as signs of possible<unk> . As of 2011 data, approximately 24% adults age 20–69 in the United States has an audiometric notch. This data identified differences in<unk>  based on age, gender, race/ethnicity, and whether or not a person is exposed to<unk>  at work. Among people aged 20–29, 19.2% had an audiometric notch, compared to 27.3% of people aged 50–59. Males in general had a notch more often than females, regardless of occupational<unk>  exposure, for both unilateral and bilateral audiometric notches. An epidemiological study of 6557 automotive manufacturing workers in China (median age 28 years old) reported that in 62% of the settings where<unk>  exposures were evaluated, levels exceeded the recommended level of 85 dBA. The prevalence of<unk>  loss was 41% among auto part manufacturing workers, followed by 31% of power train workers and 24% in automotive manufacturing. Across job categories, the highest prevalence rate was observed among welders, of 53%. The prevalence rates were associated with<unk>  levels and the workers' cumulative<unk>  exposure. Occupational<unk>  exposure is the main risk factor for work-related<unk>  loss. One study examined<unk>  test results obtained between 2000 and 2008 for workers ages 18–65 who had a higher occupational<unk>  exposure than the average worker. Of the sample taken, 18% of the workers had<unk>  loss. Of the occupations considered, the Mining industry had the highest prevalence and risk of<unk>  loss, at approximately 27%. Other industries with a higher prevalence and risk included Construction (23.48%) and Manufacturing, especially Wood Product and Non-metallic Mineral Product (19.89%), Apparel (20.18%), and Machinery (21.51%). Estimates of rates of<unk>  loss have been reported for workers in the Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting (AFFH) sector. The overall prevalence of<unk>  loss (defined as a pure‐tone average threshold across frequencies 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz of 25 dB or more in either ear) was 15% but that rate was exceeded in several of the subsectors of those industries. Prevalences were highest among workers in Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products at 36% and Timber Tract Operations at 22%. The Aquaculture sub‐sector had the highest adjusted risk (adjusted probability ratio of 1.7) of all sub‐sectors of the Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting industries. The same methodology was used to estimate the prevalence of<unk>  loss for<unk> -exposed U.S. workers within the Health Care and Social Assistance sector. The prevalence of<unk>  loss in the Medical Laboratories subsector was 31% and in the Offices of All Other Miscellaneous Health Practitioners subsector was 24%. The Child Day Care Services subsector had a 52% higher risk than the reference industry.While the overall HSA sector prevalence for<unk>  loss was 19%, the prevalence in the Medical Laboratories subsector and the Offices of All Other Miscellaneous Health Practitioners subsector were 31% and 24%, respectively. The Child Day Care Services subsector had a 52% higher risk than the reference industry of workers who are not exposed to<unk>  at work (Couriers and Messengers). Overall, audiometric records show that about 33% of working-age adults with a history of occupational<unk>  exposure have evidence of<unk><unk><unk>  damage, and 16% of<unk> -exposed workers have material<unk>  impairment.
Noise-induced hearing loss
Vibroacoustic disease
Conductive hearing loss
Cochlear hydrops
Nasodigitoacoustic syndrome
Musical ear syndrome
Autoimmune inner ear disease
Sensorineural hearing loss