In 1994, roughly 1 in 20 American adolescents had some degree of hearing loss. By 2006, the prevalence jumped to 1 in 5—about 6.5 million children aged 12 to 19, according to a new study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association. One of the authors, Dr. Roland Eavey, says,
“What we're seeing is a big jump in the prevalence of hearing loss in a very short period of time, in less than one generation. That means we're on the front edge of an epidemic.”
The main culprit (probably not too surprisingly) is suspected to be exposure to loud noises, especially music. Tommie Robinson, president of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association, says,
“I believe this is rooted in a cultural paradigm shift in terms of how electronics have become ‘the thing.’ Everyone has something in their ears.”
Recent reports have determined that “not only do teenagers play music at louder volumes, but they are completely unaware they are doing so.”
Dr. Eavy suggests that when giving a child or teenager an iPod (or other MP3 device), to set the maximum volume limit at a lower level. Apple has detailed instructions on setting the volume limit on its website, as well as a page on “Sound and Hearing.” Other informative websites are “How Loud is Too Loud?” and “It’s a Noisy Planet,” both by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, and “Listen to Your Buds” by ASHA.
The “Listen to Your Buds” website has a number of recommendations for reducing childhood noise exposure, including wearing hearing protectors. I personally swear by foam earplugs
, which block out the sounds of trains and neighborhood dogs when I’m trying to sleep. And while I love loud bass and spent my teenage years blaring music as loud as it would go, it undoubtedly contributed to the minor-to-mild hearing loss (15 to 25 decibel loss) that I now suffer. I’ve decided that from now on, I’m going to take a pair of earplugs with me to concerts, wedding receptions, and other loud venues. Earplugs now come in a variety of colors
and styles
—even specifically for musicians and concert-goers
—and I hope they can become popular among teenagers who don’t want to lose their hearing before the age of 20!
, which block out the sounds of trains and neighborhood dogs when I’m trying to sleep. And while I love loud bass and spent my teenage years blaring music as loud as it would go, it undoubtedly contributed to the minor-to-mild hearing loss (15 to 25 decibel loss) that I now suffer. I’ve decided that from now on, I’m going to take a pair of earplugs with me to concerts, wedding receptions, and other loud venues. Earplugs now come in a variety of colors and styles—even specifically for musicians and concert-goers—and I hope they can become popular among teenagers who don’t want to lose their hearing before the age of 20!
No comments:
Post a Comment