Brought to you by the House Ear Institute (HEI) -- educating the public on noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL)
An estimated 32.5 million people in the United States have experienced a hearing loss; and that figure is up by a staggering 2.5 million from just a few years ago. Exposure to excessive noises, while extremely preventable, still causes approximately 30 percent of all hearing loss. "Exposure to noise damages the microscopic hair cells found in the inner ear, which play a critical role in our ability to hear," said Dr. Jose Fayad, House Ear Clinic associate. "The damage can be from a brief but intense noise, but is most often caused by regular exposure to excessive sound over the course of several years."How loud is too loud?
Regular exposure even wearing headphones or ear buds can be dangerous too if the volume is too loud. Noise-induced hearing loss is usually painless, progressive, and always permanent; but it is 100 percent preventable.
Here are the top five ways to avoid hearing loss:
1.
Monitor your exposure time to sounds over 85 dB and take periodic 15-minute "quiet" breaks. Although the maximum time to safely be exposed to 85 dB is 8 hours, the maximum time to safely be exposed to 100 dB is only 15 minutes. See pie-chart for more information.
2.
Avoid hazardous sound environments. If you have to raise your voice to be heard, you are in a potentially hazardous environment for your hearing. This includes loud music performances, operating power tools and driving with the windows down at high speeds.
3.
Whenever you can't get away from an extreme sound environment, wear hearing protection, such as foam, silicone or pre-molded earplugs, earmuffs or custom earplugs. Look for products with noise-reduction ratings (NRR) of at least 9dB. Most products provide a NRR of 22dB or greater. To hear music and conversation clearly, look for high fidelity hearing protection. They will reduce all sound frequencies equally, and can often make listening to music more enjoyable than without any protection. Shooter's plugs combined with earmuffs should be used for hunting and target practice. All can be found over the counter at your local drugstore or sporting goods shop
4.
Move away from on-stage monitors or amplifiers. Position yourself so you are not directly in front of the speaker while performing or listening. Musicians should avoid practicing at performance levels when possible.
5.
If you suspect hearing loss or notice sudden changes in your hearing or have ear pain, see an otolaryngologist (ENT) or otologist. Also, have your hearing tested by a licensed audiologist. Common hearing tests include the pure tone threshold test, the otoacoustic emissions ("OAE") test, speech audiometry and the Hearing in Noise Test ("HINT"), which was developed by HEI scientists to assess how well you can hear speech in real world situations, where background noise is present.
For more information, visit House Ear Institute's Sound Partners® program at www.hei.org or its new site for teens and young adults at http://www.earbud.org where visitors can request a free pair of earplugs.
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