Hearing Loss: Dealing with our noisy world

Have you noticed that the world is getting louder? The sound levels at the movie theater are deafening. People are hooking large speakers to their home televisions to enhance the movie effect. Kids' toys are loud. When I stop at a traffic light, I can hear the boom box of an adjacent car rattling my windows. Kids are using IPods and hand-held video games in my office that are sooooo loud that I have to tell them to turn it off. They have headphones on, yet I can't even talk to a parent because the sounds are too loud, let alone distracting. Some European countries limit the volume of personal audio equipment to be 100dB (still way too loud). IPod volumes are unregulated in the U.S. can reach deafening 120dB levels.

I only attended one loud concert in my life, back in the mid-1970s. The Beach Boys. I was on the third balcony and the music was so loud that I thought my head would explode. It took days for the ringing to go away. Now, thirty years later, I do have tinnitus (ringing in the ears), and some high-frequency hearing loss. Now, I don't blame that on Brian Williams, but I cannot believe the noise pollution that all of us experience. Every week on the WebMD Ear Disorders Board, some unfortunate person will write, "I attended this concert last week. I stood next to some huge speakers. Now, my ears will not stop ringing and I am afraid I have lost some hearing."

We live in a world of protective devices. Children wear helmets now when they ride a bike (not something I did as a kid). Football players not only wear high-tech helmets, but an array of modern day armor. People wear safety glasses to protect their eyes when woodworking or playing racket ball. Who is protecting our ears and precious hearing? It has been estimated that more than 30 million Americans are exposed to dangerous sound levels on a regular basis and an estimated 10 million already have hearing loss from the noise. Many organizations have taken notice of this growing problem, since noise-induced hearing loss is 100% preventable.

Granted, I like things quiet. I moved to a rural area because of was tired of hearing my neighbor eating breakfast, and even peeing! Of course, I work in pediatrics and yesterday was a cacophony of screaming two-year olds, so I may be a bit more sensitive than other people. I have been meaning to buy a pair of those pricey Bose Noise-Reducing Headphones -- the kind that drown out the noise in an airplane so you can hear the movie better. I don't think I will wear them in the clinic where decibel levels from crying and screaming can reach dangerous levels, but I think I will sure use them at home.

I see factory workers and people at the airport wearing ear protection required by the Occupational Safety (OSHA) administration. Shooters at a gun club wearing ear protection when they target practice. There are 48 million Americans engaged in shooting sports and firearms can produce noise levels to 170 dB. When am I going to see a free box of earplugs available at a concert or for the school marching band? Is it going to take a series of lawsuits from deaf fans before everyone takes notice? In Europe, people are offered ear protection for concerts, but this is not routine in the U.S., even with the recent publicity about the older rockers and musicians that have developed significant hearing loss and tinnitus. Europe also limits the volume of personal audio equipment to be 100dB (still way too loud).

How loud is loud? Many experts feel that prolonged levels above 85dB can cause permanent damage to hearing. Knowing this, why are movie theaters blasting our ears with levels that often reach 100dB? Concerts have levels that start at 100dB and rise to levels above 130 dB. Even echoing sports arenas have 80-100dB levels, depending on the enthusiasm of the crowd.

Our noisy world:

70-75 dB: Vacuum cleaners and washing machines (this is why I let my wife do this)
85 -90 dB: Lawn mower, leaf blower, hair dryer, motorcycle
100-110 dB: Chainsaw, power saw, small firecrackers, snowmobile
120 dB: Thunder storm. IPODs and MP3 players at full volume
100-130 dB: Rock concerts (can reach 150 dB near the speakers)
120-140 dB: Jet takeoffs and yes, even band practice.

What can you do to prevent noise-induced hearing loss?

1. Just walk away. If faced with a noisy environment, just leave if you can. You have to take some personal responsibility in protecting your ears. If you have a noisy workplace, you need to monitor those sound levels.
2. Ear protection, such as earplugs can help. Some can lower the dB level 10-30 dB.
3. Limit the amount of time you are exposed to noise. Give your ears a break.
4. Turn down the volume, and don't be afraid to tell others to do the same. We chastise smokers, so let's get on the noise polluters.
5. Don't buy noisy toys for your kids and then complain about it.
6. If you think you have hearing loss, or have tinnitus, have your hearing professionally tested and see an ENT specialist.

Related Topics: The MP3 Generation: At Risk for Hearing Loss?, Too Much Noise

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