subject: The Problem With Too Much Noise [print this page] It seems as if wherever she looks there is a person holding a portable music player and listening through ear phones. These devices are not unusual, says a senior at Chicago University who constantly uses her own iPod when studying or exercising.
People at their age they are already susceptible to damaged hearing without knowing it. A fear of the researchers is that the problem could only be worsened when devices similar to portable music players that are attached to the ears continue to gain popularity.
Compared to the past, the director of clinical education in audiology from an Indiana university says that they have not seen as much usage as what can be seen nowadays. No longer ideal for when you jog, full day listening is now being done.
In his opinion, senior citizen ears could now be seen in the youth. Students were randomly examined by him and a few colleagues and the results turned out to be an affirmation of how noise induced hearing loss has affected plenty of these youngsters.
Most of the time, this loss of hearing when it comes to higher frequencies causes the person to experience some ringing in his ears not to mention fail to catch up to a conversation when there are sudden noises in the area.
Other than experience a buzzing, whooshing, or internal ringing in their ears, specialists are seeing cases where 30 to 40 year olds are affected by a more pronounced tinnitus problem.
We are at the tip of the iceberg, as said by the director of a hearing center at a Houston children's hospital who is currently treating people from this age group. He said he would not be surprised if they start to see even more of this.
The most common causes of noise induced hearing loss includes firearm use, power tool use, exposure to noisy concerts, as well as going to loud clubs.
Doctors are saying that headphones have evolved into something people use not only for their music pleasure but also against the ambient noises from the streets, buses, and trains. Anything can be detrimental to hearing.
Manifesting hearing loss problems can happen without warning. For an otologist in Minnesota, other than taking a long period of time to find out it also needs prolonged exposure.
As ringing happens when you leave a noisy venue you can say that there is some damage in the ears. For doctors, rest can lead to the partial recovery of a person's hearing.
Without the hairs in your inner ear you cannot hear sounds well and these can be damaged with any kind of prolonged exposure.
Heading a task force on hearing and children, a Northern Colorado university audiologist mentions how the presence of rechargeable batteries leads to the worsening situation where people are listening to these portable devices even longer these days.
If that was not enough people turn the volume up so loud that ears are damaged. In the summer, a survey was published by the national acoustic laboratories and they found out that from the people who have portable stereos 25 percent has a daily exposure to ear shattering noise levels.
Coming from Britain's royal national institute for deaf people are research findings that show how those from the ages of 18 to 24 are the ones who normally violate the safe levels of listening.
How much is too much? Based from the findings of researchers from a children's hospital in Boston, portable music players are safe to use when listened on at 60 percent of the volume and used for only an hour per day.
According to specialists, simple things as steering clear from loud speakers or using protective hearing guards when working or for recreation can help safeguard the ears.
