Bilateral hearing loss as a sequel to unilateral acoustic trauma

Within the framework of a study on the natural history of acoustic trauma, over 600 soldiers were examined. A higher rate of bilateral acoustic trauma was observed among soldiers with longer service. Comparison between unilateral and bilateral acoustic trauma showed a greater severity of damage in the same persons on two consecutive examinations suggested the same trend. It is suggested that bilateral acoustic trauma may be a later and more severe stage in some types of noise induced damage.