This document outlines prevention measures for various sensory systems. It recommends avoiding irritants, chemicals, smoking and irrational drug use. For eyes, it suggests safe work practices, guards, dust suppression and appropriate eye protection. For ears, it advises avoiding loud noise exposures and treating medical conditions. Preventing nose exposures includes masks, procedures and immunizations. Good oral hygiene, treating conditions and avoiding smoking/qat are suggested for mouth prevention. Skin prevention involves avoiding chemical/biological agents, radiation, trauma and practicing good hand care.

1. Prevention/ Prophylaxis of
Sensory System diseases
Dr. Mukhtar Altamimi
Master Community Medicine

2. General prevention measures:
• 1- Avoid Irrational use of drugs.
• 2- Avoid exposure to chemicals or
carcinogenic agents.
• 3- Avoid smoking.
• 4- Good hygiene measures.
• 5- Avoid any irritant substances.

3. Preventive measures for eye:
• Safe systems of work
• Machinery guards, interlocks
• Dust suppression
• Enforce use of appropriate eye protection:
goggles, glasses, masks
• Information, instruction, and training.

4. Preventive measures for ear:
1-Avoid Causal exposure (industries) to prevent
hearing loss:
• Quarrying and mining
• Food industry
• Agriculture
• Entertainment industry (pubs, clubs, discos)
• Armed forces and security services
• Construction industry
• Metal working
• Aviation.
2-Prevention of otitis externa requires meticulous
aural toilet.

5. Preventive measures for ear:
3- Treating underline medical condition
(meningitis, infection, ….etc).
• 4- Avoid Ototoxic medication like:
Aminoglycosides (e.g. gentamicin):
• quinine
• salicylates
• furosemide

6. Prevention measures for nose:
Preventing exposure control:
In the health care industry, exposure to staff is
minimized by:
• Wearing masks for close clinical contact
• Observing infection control procedures
• Wearing filtering respirators, gowns, and
goggles for aerosol-inducing procedures
(bronchoscopy, post-mortems, intubation, chest
physiotherapy, nebulization).

7. Other preventive measures for nose:
1- Immunization against H. Influenza infection and other
infection.
2- Avoid prolonged use of corticosteroid or decongestant drugs.
3- Avoid cigarette smoking.
For non-life threatening allergies (Rhinitis) the following are
recommended:
• Avoid contact with NRL gloves or products
• Avoid areas where there is a risk of inhalation of powder from
NRL gloves worn by others.
• Substitute to other glove materials where appropriate, e.g.
nitrile, PVC, or neoprene.
• If use of NRL gloves is necessary they should be single use
disposable gloves and be low-protein (<50μg/g) and powder-
free.

8. Preventive measures for mouth:
• 1- Good oral hygiene.
• 2- Treat underling condition.
• 3- Avoid smoking.
• 4- Avoid irrational use of drugs.
• 5- Avoid chewing Qate.

9. Preventive measures for skin:
Avoid Causal exposures often occur in combination
• Chemicals or biological agents:
• irritants (common examples include weak acids
and alkalis, soaps and detergents, oxidizing and
reducing agents, solvents)
• sensitizing agents
• Frequent hand washing (wet work)
• Gloves and other PPE
• Mechanical trauma
• Radiation and UV light.

10. Preventive measures for skin:
Advise the employer about primary prevention
• • Substitution of known sensitizing agents with
suitable alternatives
• • Engineering controls (e.g. enclose computerized
cutting operations to reduce contact between cutting
oils and the skin of operators)
• • Use of PPE (gloves). Some components of gloves
(typically carbamates and thiurams used as
preservatives and accelerants) can themselves
cause sensitization.
• • Education about the risks and good hand care

11. Good hand care: measures to risk of irritant dermatitis
• Ensure hands are not wet for >2h/day or >20 times each day.
For potent irritants these exposure limits
• Avoid wearing gloves for >4h/day
• Use tools that avoid wet-work or contact with irritants
• Wash hands in warm (not cold or hot) water and dry thoroughly
• Use protective gloves from the start of wet-work
• Minimize glove use—induces dermatitis by occluding skin
surface
• If protective gloves used for >10min wear cotton gloves
underneath
• Keep gloves intact and dry inside
• Avoid introducing irritants into the gloves
• Do not wear rings at work—they trap water and contaminants
• Use lipid-rich moisturizing creams at and after work.

12. THANK YOU