Dive Brief:
- Military troops are regularly bombarded by noise from guns and explosives.
- In 2013, tinnitus (consistent ringing in the ers) and hearing loss were the most prevalent service-connected disabilities for veterans.
- Currently, a phase III trial of a drug designed to prevent hearing loss is being conducted at Fort Jackson in South Carolina.
Dive Insight:
Military troops are consistently exposed to unhealthy levels of noise, including firearms, which can emit 150-decibel sounds. Compare that to jet planes (130 decibels) and jackhammers (also 130 decibels) and it becomes clear why hearing-related problems were the leading cause of disability-related compensation in 2013.
To address this issue, the Department of Defence Hearing Center of Excellence has been testing a drug which is designed to prevent hearing loss. The trial is set up so that an M16 is fired at least 500 times per day for 11 days near/by participants.
The trial is being led by Kathleen Campbell, MD, an audiologist, along with a military audiologist. The trial, which is FDA-approved, but military-run, was funded with $2.9 million from the goverment. Assuming that all goes well, the drug, which is being tested on 210 soldiers, could be a major game-changer and a boon for the servicemen and servicewomen of the United States of America.