A cool generation going deaf

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dipdude

Forerunner
We are risking our hearing. But many of us are deaf to it.

USING hands-free phones, iPODS and MP3s may be cool but be warned that you may gradually lose your hearing without realising it.

"Hearing loud music over a prolonged period can lead to hearing loss," says Dr Kuljit Singh, an ENT (Ear, Nose, Throat) lecturer at a public university who also holds a clinic there.

"But I am not seeing any young people in my clinic."

Most youths are not aware that they are losing a range of their hearing.

Sunway Medical Centre audiologist Saravanan Selanduray said, "Hearing damage is not obvious at first because it is a gradual occurrence and there is no pain or visible injury."



But there are certain symptoms, such as difficulty in following a conversation, hearing what is being said over TV, or being able to detect sound quality.

"Most of those who eventually come to see us only do because they experience obvious damage."

"In five years, I will be seeing people who used maximum volumes just to listen to their music."



"Constant use of earphones, especially from listening to iPODs, can cause loss of hearing, especially among the young who use it for prolonged periods."

Their parents and their grandparents lost their hearing gradually when they were in their sixties, but today’s youths might not have to wait too long.

Research and doctors’ reports indicate that many of our young are plugged in for long periods and listening beyond the acceptable decibel levels.

While 60 per cent of deafness in Malaysian children are caused by congenital rubella (German measles), Dr Dora Tan said loud music in clubs had also contributed to hearing loss.

"Of course, when you hear music at a loud level for a prolonged period, you can damage your hearing. Any ENT specialist can tell you this," says Tan, secretary-general of the National Society for the Deaf.

"Most youths do not want to listen to music at an acceptable volume because then, there is no kick from the music."

So, why are our young people turning up the volume?

The "cool" factor aside, it has a lot to do with the fact that advances in technology make it possible for music to be played at high volumes without appreciable distortion.

"Before, with analog technology, there would be distortions in the music when you turn up the volume," says Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Audiology and Speech Sciences department head associate professor Dr Siti Zamratol Mai-Sarah Mukari.

"Now, with digital technological, you can really crank up the volume and still get good quality music. That encourages people to turn up the volume."

It is not just listening to music at unacceptable levels but doing it for prolonged periods that lead to hearing loss.

Saravanan said musicians, sounds crews, night club employees and patrons were risking themselves when they continuously exposed themselves to excessive noise.

Ear muffs and ear plugs, he added, could minimise the effects of the sounds.

"What makes it bad is the continuous exposure, which can lead to irreversible damage," warned Saravanan.

So what kind of music is bad? Classical, rock music, heavy metal?

"The type of music is not important. It is the volume and duration of exposure that matters," says Dr Siti.

Young people also tend to spend more time listening to music these days because MP3 and iPod technology allow much greater storage capacity than ever before.

"The storage capacity of the Walkman was quite limited. You had to change the cassette or CD every now and then. Now, with MP3 and iPods, there is a continuous supply of music," says Dr Siti.

The use of earphones is bad because it allows the loud music to go directly into the ears. And, that’s not all.

Because earphones, unlike headphones, do not cover up the ears, there is a tendency to turn up the volume to block out sounds from the surrounding environment.

"When the music is from loudspeakers, it has to travel a few metres before it gets to the ear. So, the amount of energy that reaches the ear is lower," explains Dr Siti.

"With earphones, the music goes directly into the eardrum. This means there is greater chance of damage to the corti, the hearing organ."

When there is permanent hearing loss, nothing can be done to reverse it. Hearing aids merely help by amplifying the volume of sounds.

"When there is temporary hearing loss, recovery occurs after a period of rest from the music. But, once permanent damage occurs, nothing can be done," says Dr Siti.

So, how do you know if the music is too loud?

"If your parents can hear your music from your headphones, then you know you have gone beyond the healthy noise level," says Saravanan.

But it is not just these portable devices that’s being abused.

When the young are not racing around in cars with loud music, they are clubbing too loud or turning to sophisticated sound systems in the homes.

"The damage usually begins in the tiny hairs cells of the cochlea. This is referred to as nerve deafness. Starting with loss of high frequencies it gradually affects lower frequencies."

Unfortunately, the true extent of the problem is not known because people with hearing loss rarely seek treatment for their problem.



Dr Siti notes that reducing the volume of the music is the only way

"It will be difficult because young people want to be cool. Reduce the volume? Do you think they will listen? Of course not."

Yet audiologists warn that we should not treat this lightly.

"We should not think of hearing loss merely in the sense of ageing, we should consider regular ear check ups. Otherwise we are going to see an increase of people depending on hearing aids."
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New Straits Times - Malaysia News Online
 
"With earphones, the music goes directly into the eardrum. This means there is greater chance of damage to the corti, the hearing organ."

Not looking good!
 
well this fact was known to me cause since 8 years, mom has been shouting at me to lower the music down or else i ll become deaf :rofl: but theres more to it they forgot the mumbai traffic can outdo 150 db (source: MM) which can make u partial deaf if ur exposed to it for hours...
 
dude its the in ear buds which are at fault . around the ear type big ones shouldnt pose that much of a prob :)
 
baah...earphones cause damage when listened to at VERY high volumes at prolonged time periods.So no worry if the volume is not too high.
 
lower the volume and listen to your music and you should be fine, but then maany complain that they wont enjoy the song so its upto YOU, deaf or enjoy the moment :P:P
 
Same old story... name one musician who has turned deaf! When you're on stage, the sound is way more than anything else you've ever heard... and there are musicians who've been playing way over 2 decades (Slayer, for example ;)). IMO, the people who write this kinda $hit needs a job or a friggin beating if they don't stop.

My advice is just live life, it's really not that complicated :)
 
RiO said:
Same old story... name one musician who has turned deaf! When you're on stage, the sound is way more than anything else you've ever heard... and there are musicians who've been playing way over 2 decades (Slayer, for example ;)). IMO, the people who write this kinda $hit needs a job or a friggin beating if they don't stop.

My advice is just live life, it's really not that complicated :)
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its not just same old story rio.

its yet another warning of our changed lifestyle has put against us.

it does not matter whether you hear via earphone / ear buds / head phones / speakers, it also does not matter which type of music you hear.

what matters is how much volume the speakers of your instrument pump out and if you indulge in high volumes which can generate way more that 90 db for a longer period you risk your hearing.

for example : go to an airport or a factory try to hear to noise of aircraft/ factory machines / boiler steam release if you happen to cover you ears due to intolerability the same amount of music you are putting to your ear but only thing is that you like music and dislike that noise so you stay away from such places.

warning to all music listeners you must reduce your volume levels to comfortable levels and also take rest for 5-7 minutes after every 30 minutes.

it is same as our eyes start watering after a duration of concentration on monitors. but the problems eyes have watering to rescue while ears do not have such rescue mechanism.

all ears have is a possible warning mechanism called tinnitus. which is ringing noise in ear even without any sound stimulation. if you happen to notice it after a sessions of ipoding :p mobiling :p or gaming or music listening you are overclocking your hearing mechanism a little too much. try to conserve it before it goes kaput.

and remember human body`s special senses do no come with any replacement warranty or upgrade options once gone kaput you have to do without it. :bleh:

BTW rio : no musician will be giving concerts for his lifetime. they just take a tour in whole year say 6-8 concerts and they have a sound proof makeup room at back stage where they relax in between which cools down the overstretched mechanism. so they do not risk their hearing.

while you hearing to music from same musician have facility of free time / availability / portability / repeatability so you do not have to pause in between and you go on damaging the ears.

yes the hearing loss age profile is changing slowly but steadily.

before someone argues about the authenticity i would like to bring to every ones notice who do not know that i myself is a practising ENT surgeon. :ohyeah:
 
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medpal, no offence to medicine or your skills/knowledge but you have to stand on a stage and play to realize HOW LOUD it can get... there are bands playing under those conditions almost every other night for the last 20+ years and none of them are deaf or turning deaf - no reports whatsoever :)

I'm saying this because my experience has taught me to trust and believe actual data more than theory... doesn't matter whose theory it is - if he/she has no data to back it up, it's baseless and while the rest of the world may believe, I will always choose not to ;)

Again, I'm just saying there's nothing to worry about because we're not exposed to REALLY loud sounds/noise like many others are, who can still hear :D
 
RiO said:
medpal, no offence to medicine or your skills/knowledge but you have to stand on a stage and play to realize HOW LOUD it can get... there are bands playing under those conditions almost every other night for the last 20+ years and none of them are deaf or turning deaf - no reports whatsoever :)

I'm saying this because my experience has taught me trust and believe actual data more than theory... doesn't matter whose theory it is - if he/she has no data to back it up, it's baseless and while the rest of the world may believe, I will always choose not to ;)
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i go with u RIO...u have a very strong point..and even i wonder why great musicians who are used to listn to super-loud music ..day and nite. dont go deaf !!
 
Once again, my point is we are not exposed to really high decibel levels that many other people are, so we do not need to worry about this so much that we stop playing loud music or using headphones etc. :) We tend to generally get paranoid about such things when we chance upon it... stop and think whether it affects you before you change your lifestyle ;)

And thanks greenhorn, I'll read that article later...
 
You want proof?

In 1989, Pete Townshend admitted that he had sustained "very severe hearing damage." Since then, Neil Young, Beatles producer George Martin, Sting, Ted Nugent and Jeff Beck have all discussed their hearing problems. Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood first noticed that he was having trouble hearing conversations in crowded rooms about twelve years ago. "The world's worst is when you find yourself going like Mother Hubbard and cupping your hand behind your ear," says Fleetwood. "I was a major glutton for volume: 'Gotta feel it, gotta hear it.' Sooner or later you're going to pay the reaper."
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Straight from the horse's mouth :P Rolling Stone Magazine - Rolling Stone : Music Making Fans Deaf?
 
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