KYW Newsradio’s Medical Reports are sponsored by Independence Blue Cross.
No, it's not back injuries or some strange allergic reaction. It's hearing damage.
It's estimated that one in eight U.S. workers has some degree of hearing loss. What's worse is that about two percent have moderate or worse impairment.
In case you are wondering, miners, construction workers, and those in the manufacturing industry have the highest rates of hearing loss.
However, about 22 million people have jobs that expose them to noise of 85 decibels or more, which can kill off nerve endings in the inner ear. This causes hearing loss that usually can't be reversed.
The louder the noise, the less time it takes. So limit that exposure to noise because it can help your ears more than you know.