Workplaces are often noisy, and it can be hard to stay focused on the task at hand. When you’re exposed over time this way, your hearing becomes less sensitive, which may affect not only important professional skills like communication or work productivity but also physical well-being such as stress levels. That is why affected people can claim workers’ compensation in Nevada if a person experiences hearing loss. Loud noise has both short-term and long-term effects, and consequently, it could cause permanent damage if left unchecked.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says that loud noise can also damage the auditory nerve that transmits sound to your brain.
Hearings loss is a very common type of work-related injury or illness. Harmful noise exposures on job sites and in workplaces are the leading cause of these injuries, which often occur over long periods of time.
Workers’ compensation in Nevada is an insurance coverage carried by most employers and provides benefits to employees who suffer work-related injuries. In some cases, when hearing loss develops over time as a result of long-term noise exposure, this can qualify for workers’ comp claims, including the cost of hearing aids if necessary.
How Can Work-Related Hearing Loss Occur?
In the United States, around 22 million Americans suffer from some form of hearing loss. In fact, it is estimated that as many as 15 percent of American adults over the age of 65 have a disabling hearing handicap (NIDCD). With numbers like these, one might assume that factors outside of work cause most hearing loss. However, data from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) shows that more than one million workers in this country are exposed to hazardous noise levels on the job.
Sound exposure at work is one of the most common causes of occupational or work-related hearing loss. This kind of hearing impairment is known as noise-induced hearing loss or NIHL.
Two different mechanisms can cause Noise-induced hearing loss:
- Inner ear hair cell damage
- Damage to the auditory nerve
Inner ear hair cell damage occurs when sound waves are so loud that they cause the delicate sensory cells in the cochlea (inner ear organ responsible for hearing) to become damaged. This type of damage may be temporary or permanent, depending on the exposure level.
The auditory nerve carries sound information from the cochlea to the brain, where it is decoded into sounds that are recognizable by the individual. When this nerve is damaged, some people experience tinnitus (ringing in ears) or hyperacusis (oversensitivity to sound)—permanent damage to the nerve results in permanent hearing loss.
NIOSH estimates that around seven percent of all Americans have noise-induced hearing loss, but this number is likely higher since workers who have already experienced some form of hearing loss may not report it. As mentioned above, noise-induced hearing loss is one of the most common work-related conditions. The following section discusses the many different factors that can cause noise-induced hearing loss in workers.
Receiving Medical Care if Hearing Loss Occurs to Claim Workers’ Compensation in Nevada:
Whenever you hear ringing in your ears or hear noise clearly, it is very important for you to visit a doctor as soon as possible.
You can face hearing loss due to illness, accident, or aging. When you are exposed to loud sounds, the tiny hair cells in your inner ear vibrate. However, if you are exposed to loud noises, the tiny hair cells can be damaged. As a result, you may suffer from hearing loss or tinnitus. If you do not take proper care of your hearing, you may suffer from permanent noise-induced hearing loss or tinnitus.
An audiologist will run some tests to judge the extent of the damage. Whether the damage is from long-term exposure or short-term, you will be entitled to workers’ compensation in Nevada.
Schedule a Free Case Review with A Workers’ Compensation Attorney:
Hearing loss can be a gradual process, so it is more likely that it is work-related. You could have a dispute over your workers’ compensation in Nevada if you are not seeing professionals for this issue fast enough! Workers develop hearing difficulties, and it often goes unnoticed until there are major issues/problems arising from their condition due to a lack of awareness by employers.
When dealing with an employer who is contesting your right to workers’ compensation benefits, it is essential that you talk about the situation immediately and seek out a knowledgeable workers’ compensation attorney.