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Auditory perception with ear and cold weather face protection worn in combination
Sharon M Abel1, Patricia Odell
1Human Factors Research and Engineering Section, Defence Research and Development Canada-Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M3M 3B9.
Military Medicine
|November 2, 2006
Summary
Wearing a balaclava under hearing protection significantly reduces sound attenuation, especially in cold weather military operations. This impacts hearing protection effectiveness and consonant discrimination.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Occupational Safety and Health
- Military Medicine
Background:
- Hearing protection is crucial in noisy environments, particularly during military operations in cold weather.
- Combining balaclavas with earmuffs is common practice for thermal comfort but may affect auditory protection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of wearing a balaclava under hearing-protecting earmuffs on hearing thresholds, sound attenuation, and consonant discrimination.
- To quantify the reduction in sound attenuation when a balaclava is worn with earmuffs.
Main Methods:
- Twenty normal-hearing adults (10 male, 10 female) participated in a within-subject study.
- Hearing thresholds (0.25 kHz to 8 kHz) and consonant discrimination were measured with ears unoccluded, with earmuffs alone, and with a balaclava worn full-face or as a cap.
- Sound attenuation was calculated from protected and unoccluded hearing thresholds.
Main Results:
- Wearing a balaclava full-face reduced earmuff attenuation by 16–18 dB below 6.3 kHz.
- Wearing a balaclava as a cap decreased attenuation by 18–27 dB from 0.25 Hz to 4 kHz.
- Consonant discrimination scores decreased by 7% when using earmuffs alone.
Conclusions:
- Wearing a balaclava under hearing protection significantly compromises sound attenuation, potentially diminishing hearing protection effectiveness.
- The findings highlight the necessity of evaluating protective equipment under realistic operational conditions.
- Further research should consider the combined effects of personal protective equipment on auditory function in diverse environments.
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