Here at RestorEar, we focus on bringing awareness to noise exposure and hearing protection as a way to combat hearing loss. That’s because an estimated 12.5% of children and adolescents and 17% of adults have suffered permanent damage to their hearing from excessive exposure to noise. But tools like earplugs and ReBound aren’t the only way to care for your hearing health, especially for young people. A recent literature review highlights a powerful but often overlooked tool in preventing hearing loss in children and teens: vaccination.

Hearing loss in the armed services is a major health challenge. In fact, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, hearing loss is the second most common service-related disability. A study published in Military Medicine last summer found that sudden hearing loss—a rapid, often unexplained loss of hearing that requires urgent medical attention—is more common among active duty U.S. military members than in the general public. While hearing issues in the military are nothing new, this research focused specifically on sudden cases, which can have serious consequences for both personal well-being and mission readiness.