The Future Will Be Quiet. Click through to read Alana Semuels’ piece on “how the cities and suburbs of the future could become quieter, more peaceful places.” Ms. Semuels’ cause for optimism rests, in large part, on advances in technology. While technological advances are welcome, and could, one hopes, be part of the solution, the media should focus more attention on hearing health and the dangers of noise so that Americans are moved to protect themselves instead of waiting for a technological panacea.
Thanks to Daniel Fink, M.D., a noise pollution activist in the Los Angeles area, for the link. Dr. Fink serves on the board of the American Tinnitus Association.
GMB
March 29, 2016
Everyday noise, Health and Noise, Hearing protection, Hell is other people, Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL), Noise Pollution, Peace and Quietcity living, construction noise, Daniel Fink, ear health, ear plugs, health, hearing injury, hearing loss, jackhammers, loud, M.D., New York City, noise, noise exposure danger, noise induced hearing loss, noise pollution, noisy, safey risk, street noise
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The Starkey Hearing Foundation has launched Listen Carefully, a campaign to raise awareness about noise-induced hearing loss. The campaign was started to combat a growing public health threat. Namely, that “one in six American teens has noise-induced hearing loss from loud sounds.” The Foundation wants to alert the public to this health threat and prevent a hearing loss epidemic.
Go to the Listen Carefully website to learn the facts about noise-induced hearing loss and find out how you can get involved to stop it.
GMB
March 23, 2016
Everyday noise, Health and Noise, Hearing protection, Noise Pollution, Your earbuds are killing your earsear health, ear plugs, health, hearing injury, hearing loss, hyperacusis, Listen Carefully, loud, NIHL, noise, noise exposure danger, noise induced hearing loss, noisy, one in six teenagers have hearing loss, safey risk, Starkey Hearing Foundation, tinnitus
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The Chicago Tribune published a very informative article on How earbuds can wreck your hearing (especially for young people). The article notes that:
A 2015 World Health Organization report found that nearly 50 percent of teens and young adults ages 12-35 are exposed to unsafe levels of sound from their personal music players. A 2010 Journal of the American Medical Association analysis found a significant increase in young people with hearing loss from three decades ago.
It’s well worth a read, particularly for the advice provided on how to know when sound is too loud and what you can do to limit harmful exposure.
Thanks to Bryan Pollard for the link. Bryan is the founder and president of Hyperacusis Research Limited, a non-profit charity dedicated to funding research on what causes hyperacusis with the goal of developing effective treatments.
GMB
March 21, 2016
Health and Noise, Hearing protection, Medical and scientific news, Uncategorized, Your earbuds are killing your earsAmerican Medical Association, Bryan Pollard, Chicago Tribune, ear health, earbuds, harmful exposure, headphones, health, hearing loss, hyperacusis, Hyperacusis Research Limited, noise, noise exposure danger, noise induced hearing loss, tinnitus, World Health Organization
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I’m in my apartment, trying to embrace the day. In the background I can clearly hear the sound of a jackhammers and something that sounds like the biggest saw known to man. My guess is that the saw is being used to cut into the sidewalk, while the jackhammers are digging up the street. At 8:00 a.m. Hardly a peaceful start to the day. And then it stops, but not before the world has been jolted to a start with a slap across its face. Good morning!
Oh wait, it’s starting again. Off to shower and plan a day away from my home office.
Hope you are enjoying a more pleasant morning.
GMB
March 18, 2016
Everyday noise, Hell is other people, Noise Pollutioncity living, construction noise, frustration, jackhammers, loud, New York City, noise, noise exposure danger, noise pollution, noisy
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Pearl Jam To Give Away Ear Plugs At Concerts
Let’s hope every band follows Pearl Jam’s example. After all, it makes sense to protect your customer base, no?
GMB
March 16, 2016
Health and Noise, Hearing protection, Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL)ear plugs, health, hearing injury, hyperacusis, MusiCares, noise induced hearing loss, Pearl Jam
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The American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) has posted an important article on hearing loss and young people: Millennials, the Deaf Generation? The article states that a major cause of hearing injury to young people are music players, noting that the WHO “found that almost half of those ages 12 to 35 listen to their music players at unsafe volumes, while around 40 percent expose themselves to very loud events such as concerts.” Among other things, the article suggests that using over the ear headphones over earbuds could help reduce the risk, especially when coupled with keeping the player’s volume at 60% of its range and listening to music for no more than 60 minutes at a time.
The concern about hearing loss in young people is also addressed by Shari Eberts, a hearing health advocate in her piece, “A Silent Epidemic. Teen and Young Adult Hearing Loss.” Ms. Eberts writes that “[a] research study published in The Journal of American Medical Association in 2010 found that 1 in 5 teens had some type of hearing loss. This was significantly above the 1 in 7 teens with hearing loss measured 10 years earlier.” She agrees that the use of earbuds is a significant cause for the alarming increase in hearing loss, but she adds that “the increased volume levels at restaurants, bars, sporting events, and other venues are also likely to blame.” As someone who has genetic hearing loss Ms. Eberts knows firsthand about the frustration and sadness young people with hearing loss will suffer, noting that such suffering is avoidable since noise induced hearing loss is 100% preventable. As in the ASCH article, Ms. Ebert recommends steps people can take to avoid hearing injury in the first instance.
This silent epidemic of hearing loss is not going to be silent for much longer. One hopes that the increased attention on hearing loss among the young will motivate government, business, and individuals to work together to prevent the unnecessary deafening of an entire generation.
GMB
March 14, 2016
Health and Noise, Hearing protection, Medical and scientific news, Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL), Noise Pollution, Your earbuds are killing your earsACSH, American Council on Science and Health, bars, decibel levels, ear health, earbuds, frustration, headphones, hearing health advocate, hearing injury, hearing loss, loud, music, noise exposure danger, noise induced hearing loss, restaurants, sadness, safey risk, Shari Eberts, silent epidemic, sporting events, street noise, WHO, World Health Organization, world wide hearing loss, young people, youth
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GMB
March 12, 2016
Design, Everyday noise, Health and Noise, Peace and Quietconstruction noise, ear health, health, loud, noise exposure danger, noise induced hearing loss, noisy, peace, pleasurable sounds, quiet, quiet life, Quiet Mark, safey risk
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AC/DC’s Brian Johnson quits touring for good because of hearing loss.
Yes, nothing like the threat of complete hearing loss to bring home the importance of protecting one’s ears. Let’s hope that AC/DC considers the damage inflicted on concert goers when they resume touring.
GMB
March 10, 2016
Health and Noise, Medical and scientific news, Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL)AC/DC, Brian Johnson, construction noise, ear health, health, hearing injury, hearing loss, loud, NIHL, noise induced hearing loss, noise pollution activist, noisy, postpone, safey risk, threat of complete hearing loss, tour
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Daniel Fink, M.D., Interim Chair of the Quiet Communities Health Advisory Council, has written a post for the Quiet Communities’s blog that tackles a question which is rarely addressed: What noise level IS safe for preventing hearing loss?
In his post, Dr. Fink discusses the seeming contradiction between a 1974 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determination that “a 24-hour average noise exposure level of 70 decibels (dB) or less prevent[s] measurable hearing loss over a lifetime” with statements from various governmental and nonprofit organizations that suggested that “a much louder noise level − anything up to 85 dB − was safe for our ears.” In the course of researching the issue, he received a communication from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) that explained where the 85 dB figure came from; the information in that communication formed the basis of a post on NIOSH’s Science Blog in February 2016 (which is discussed here).
Long and short, the NIOSH communication explained that the 85 dB was an occupational noise exposure standard developed to protect workers over a lifetime of work, whereas the EPA determination of 70 dB averaged noise exposure over 24 hours was believed to protect the general public from hearing loss over a lifetime. As Dr. Fink notes that the clarification of the difference in noise exposure limits is important in setting public policy and protecting public health, and he concludes that, based on his research, “[t]he much lower 70 dB average noise exposure level is the only published safe noise level to protect the public’s hearing.”
GMB
March 4, 2016
Health and Noise, Medical and scientific news, Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL), Noise PollutionDaniel Fink, decibels, ear health, Environmental Protection AgencyAgency, EPA, hearing loss, Interim Chair of the Quiet communities Health Advisory Council, MD, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, NIHL, NIOSH, noise exposure danger, noise induced hearing loss, Quiet Communities
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