• John M Sommerfeldt, Anastasia P Jermihov, Isaac D Erbele, and Brian S Chen.
• Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, HI 96859, USA.
• Mil Med. 2024 Aug 19; 189 (Suppl 3): 768276-82.

IntroductionHearing loss among military personnel is a well-known challenge, reported as the second most common VA service-connected disability. Although most hearing loss occurs gradually, a subset occurs suddenly and significantly impacts quality of life and military readiness and is considered as a medical emergency. This study aims to evaluate the incidence of sudden hearing loss among different subpopulations within the military system to better identify at-risk groups.Materials And MethodsThis study was a retrospective population-based study reviewing all cases of diagnosed sudden hearing loss between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2021 within active duty service members in the U.S. DoD. Statistical analysis of multiple subpopulations was performed.ResultsThere were 2,650 cases of sudden hearing loss diagnosed in active duty service members during the study period, with an average incidence of 32.9 cases per 100,000 people per year, compared with 5 to 27 cases per 100,000 people per year reported in civilian populations. Senior officers demonstrated significantly increased rates of sudden hearing loss with 103.9 cases per 100,000 people per year, likely as a result of increased age, as did Air Force personnel with 45.1 cases per 100,000 people per year. There was no difference in incidence based on military occupational specialty, though service members located overseas were noted to have decreased incidence compared with those stationed within the USA. There was no significant difference during the years before coronavirus-19 pandemic (2016-2019) compared to the years following the start of the pandemic (2020-2021).ConclusionsSudden hearing loss appears to occur more frequently in military personnel than in the civilian population. The increased incidence in senior officers is likely driven by increased age, though further evaluation into the discrepancies between reported incidence of hearing loss among enlisted service members and officers is warranted. Although military occupational specialty did not demonstrate any significant difference in incidence, for thus far unknown reasons those in the Air Force demonstrated increased rates of sudden hearing loss. Although other potentially at-risk groups were identified, focused efforts to better understand contributing factors to elevated incidence in senior officers and Air Force personnel will help to better mitigate the incidence and effects of sudden hearing loss.© The Association of Military Surgeons of the United States 2024. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site–for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.

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