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Short-duration space flight and hearing loss.

Carrie A Roller1, Jonathan B Clark

  • 1Bobby R Alford Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Baylor College of Medicine, USA. croller@bcm.tmc.edu

Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery : Official Journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
|July 19, 2003
PubMed
Summary

A single Space Shuttle mission can cause temporary and small permanent hearing shifts in astronauts. Repeated missions may lead to significant hearing loss, impacting speech reception frequencies.

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Area of Science:

  • Aerospace Medicine
  • Audiology
  • Occupational Health

Background:

  • Astronaut hearing health is critical for mission success and safety.
  • Previous research on spaceflight-induced hearing changes is limited.
  • Understanding auditory effects of space missions is essential for long-term astronaut well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate hearing decrements in astronauts following a single Space Shuttle mission.
  • To quantify temporary and permanent threshold shifts in astronaut hearing.
  • To assess the impact of spaceflight on specific auditory frequencies.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of audiogram data from Space Shuttle astronauts.
  • Comparison of hearing thresholds at preflight, immediate postflight (R+0), early postflight (R+3), and delayed postflight (8-month mean) time points.

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  • Statistical analysis to determine the significance of hearing threshold changes.

    • Main Results:

    • A significant temporary threshold shift (mean 4.6 dB) was observed immediately postflight compared to preflight.
    • Small, statistically significant permanent threshold shifts (mean 0.83 dB) were detected in lower frequencies (500-2000 Hz) at R+3 and follow-up.
    • Hearing shifts were particularly noted in frequencies crucial for speech reception.

    Conclusions:

    • A single Space Shuttle mission can induce both temporary and subtle permanent hearing threshold shifts.
    • While single-mission effects are minor, cumulative exposure over multiple missions may lead to clinically significant hearing loss.
    • Findings highlight the need for monitoring astronaut hearing and considering long-term auditory health strategies.