Table 1.

Types of prevention (Gordon, 1983; Woolf, Jonas, & Kaplan-Liss, 2008).

Type of prevention	Definition	Possible nature of hearing related preventive activities
Primary	Prevent or inhibit illness or disability from occurring in the first place- prior to biologic onset of the disease	Practice healthy hearing behaviors such as noise protection to protect against impairment and disability
Secondary	Detect impairment or disease in an early stage in an effort to minimize consequences and complications; detect condition before symptomatic; practiced after the condition is recognized but before if has caused disability or suffering	Screening programs for early detection before condition is noticeable and before complications begin to present
Tertiary	Prevent progression of disease and attendant suffering; practiced after suffering and disability are experienced by the patient	Promote management in people with co-morbidities; attempt to reduce disability and restore function and self-sufficiency in the chronically ill; aim to improve the quality of life for people with various diseases by limiting complications and disabilities, reducing the severity and progression of disease, and providing rehabilitation (therapy to restore functionality and self-sufficiency)