Noise-induced hearing is a major health problem that can be fatal if not cured on time. One of the main reasons for this health issue is noise pollution. The problem of noise pollution is one of the most important issues in the world nowadays. A large number of people are getting affected by this serious problem and losing their auditory faculty. Noise pollution is caused by heavy machines, electronic gadgets and other things of daily usage. Damage of ear and ear nerves lessen the capability of hearing in humans. The eardrum gets injured with high noise and stops working after a certain period if not taken care of or consulted to a doctor on time. The problem of noise-induced hearing is happening equally in all ages of humans, from children to adults. The problem is grave in adults and older people.
Here are some of the points which tell us about how this problem is happening and what are the threats regarding this problem. What should be done to protect our ear from the areas where high music or sound is being played. What is the right time when a one should consult the doctor for treatment of the hearing loss before it’s too late?
How does it happen?
Loss of hearing happens due to various reasons. One of the prominent causes of this problem is exposure to high noise or listening to music. People who are working continuously in a place where there is a loud noise and noise pollution suffer from this problem generally. They are not habitual of this, but remaining in that environment for a longer period affects their health of hearing and slowly and gradually they fall prey to this major health issue. The threat is equally the same for teenagers and students.
Teenagers who are listening to music on headphones continuously and recklessly for a long period suffers from this problem in the coming time. Students who are learning music in schools are also getting affected by this health issue. Adults and old aged people are not exposed to higher music, but due to old age and damage of auditory nerves can make them partially or completely deaf.
What data and analysis say?
The safe environmental noise is 70 decibels, but somewhere it is misinterpreted as 85 decibels which are not correct. The noise of 70 decibels is the safety standard to protect the hearing of an individual. According to a survey in 1974 done by an environmental protection agency, it was proved that people exposed to sound less than 70 decibels will be safe with their auditory faculty and no problem can harm them regarding hearing issues.
However, some of the information coming from the National Institute of Deafness and other Communication Disorders and the American Academy of audiology says that noise level up to 85 decibels is ok and will not harm the ear. Once more, a survey was done where it was found that 96% of the population will be safe after listening to the sound of 70 decibels. According to EPA, only 70 decibels noise is safe for ears, the noise of 85 decibels and more is a threat to the auditory faculty.
What are the indications of hearing loss?
Indications for hearing loss can vary from person to person. Indications can be different from children in comparison to an adult. A sign of hearing loss is not easy to recognize. It is recognized when the damage has been done already to your ears and you are not able to listen to the things. If you are in a group chat and you are not able to understand what they are talking or it is taking for you to decode the words by your auditory faculty.
People can also get to know about their hearing loss when they are not able to respond to the near voice or sound of any person or thing. While crossing the road, hearing loss can be checked when that man is not able to hear the horns of the car and crosses the road. There will be chaos in the environment and you will feel like you are in utter peace. All these things are plenty to prove that the man is suffering from impairment.
Who is more prone to this?
The most common sufferers of this problem are student musicians, musicians, technicians present at the school music practice room, music teachers, and people living at places with heavy noise pollution. A survey data collected by the local agency shows that 52% of auditory defects happened to the students by acoustic overexposure. The right year is more susceptible to noise than the left year. research says that some of the students are having a defect in both the ears and some of them are suffering from defects in only one ear.
Students participating in the bands and orchestras suffer more with this problem of induced hearing. Music rooms in the schools must check the noise level in their music rooms and how students are using it should be checked regularly. Next, the problem is there with the teachers of music in the school who have to spend most of the hours in the school music room. The damage is happening to him more and he too will suffer from this problem in the coming days. The current study was done in this respect that, do public school music teachers suffer from the induced hearing after spending hours in the music room. The result was positive in most of the cases.
How and when a patient suffers from loss of hearing?
A patient suffering from the induced hearing is always solitary and aloof. The problem will make him feel completely alone and solitary. He will lead an unhappy life and other problems will also come to him like late responding and non-deliberate negligence. Adults and children are commonly affected by induced hearing when they are exposed to high music for a long time. Children using devices like iPods and MP3 causes hearing damage as the tiny hair cells which is called nerve ending are damaged by the loud noise or sounds.
An individual can save himself from such problems by using headphones for a less period. Listening to music on noise-proof headphones can block your ear nerves as they block the passage for outer sounds. Children hear music with such a high volume that a man standing by that child can listen to that music very clearly. People attend concerts where they are again exposed to high music and noise. When a person is attending concerts regularly, then he must not stand nearby the speakers, as this will damage their hearing system completely.
Prevention before hearing loss
We all know that prevention is better than cure. Although we know this, still we commit mistakes which leads to a heavy price. It is a known fact that listening to music for a long time with high frequency can lead to deafness and permanent hearing loss too can happen. People must take care of their surroundings where they are living and must check them who are responsible for noise pollution in your locality. Children are advised to use fewer headphones and if they are using then it must be used judiciously so that they must not suffer from this fatal problem afterward. In many cases, it has been recorded that children of small ages suffer from permanent hear loss and the worst thing is that there is no cure or remedy for that child. One should take care of the level of the sound of the music that it must not exceed to a dangerous level. Loud music is equally risky for heart patients.
Most cases of hearing loss come from that part of society who are habitual of attending concerts and standing to that place where speakers are placed. They think that standing to that place where speakers are based will give them the real essence of the party, then they are wrong. They are inviting the primary stage of induced hearing and if this will continue, then soon they will be in the clutches of this major health problem. One can take measures to save their ears or auditory faculty while being at concerts and parties. Here are the tips:
1- Roll a part of tissue or napkin to put inside your ear.
2- Different types of earplugs are available for those who are regularly attending parties. People can buy silicone earplugs and put them inside their ears. This will help them in reducing the noise level while being at concerts.
3- One can use custom-fit earplugs which doesn’t reduce the sound quality, but helps much in reducing the noise level.
4- Find your place at a safe distance from the speakers and breathe in a quiet place. Try to find a place where you can relax.
5- Don’t let anybody shout in your ears and consume less alcohol as this will make you unaware of your present state and you will again in the vicinity of loud music.
Psychological and physical effects of hearing loss
We live in a world that is very hectic and full of chaos. From waking up in the morning and going to bed at night, we hear lots of sounds, some of them are pleasant, some of them are unpleasant. While going to the office, we came across any construction site and loud machines cause headache and we feel panic. Children going to school can have the most dangerous effect of this as they are going to start their day by listening to heavy and shrill horns. In the same way, hearing loss caused by noise pollution can be harmful to both physical and mental health.
In some of the cases, psychological imbalances are also recorded. Some of the people are habitual of playing loud music at their home which is again a sign of danger, and the residents of that house will suffer from the loss of hearing and this will fall on them slowly and gradually. Children are more prone to this problem just because of their tender organs and tender age too. They are more prone to physical and psychological turmoil. Let’s have a look at the psychological and physical problems due to induced hearing:
Psychological effects
1- People suffering from hearing loss feel that they are isolated for their late response to any of the gossip or joke.
2- They slowly separate from the society which arouses fear and anger in them consequently.
3- The problem is most common in the elder age people, where they struggle to understand the words of other people and failed to make their words understand to others.
4- Psychological turmoil can happen due to induced hearing which is again not a good sign, the psychological imbalance can lead to severe issues regarding health.
Physical effects
1- Physical effects can be there in the form of damage of eardrums or sensitive nerves present inside the ear which connects the ear from the brain.
2- People suffering from induced hearing may suffer from lethargy, fatigue, body aches, headaches, and other problems.
3- Tinnitus is damaged which is inside the ear if the level of noise is very high or the man is in the close range of that noise for a longer period.
When to consult the doctor?
Now another most important thing which should be done immediately after being diagnosed with hearing loss is to consult a doctor or audiologist. The symptoms of induced hearing are slow and it can take a long time to diagnose the problem in an individual. If one is feeling that there is some problem regarding the hears loss or he is not able o respond to the near sound or voice, then immediately he should consult a doctor for better suggestions. It may not be the hearing loss, but still, you must consult a doctor if the traits are not positive and you are not feeling all right.
Fix a meeting with the doctor and he will suggest you with the right thing and the right time to act upon the problem. If the problem is neglected and ignored by the one suffering from induced hearing, then he has to pay a heavy price for this and permanent hearing loss can also happen to him. Many a time it has been seen that doctors are consulted but the late consultation gives no profit to the patient.
Another important thing that should be kept in mind before consulting a doctor is that he must be completely an expert in audiology and has experience. The ear is a sensitive organ of the body and a single mistake can lead to a severe problem that can persist for a lifetime. There is no need to make haste in searching for a doctor to cure your ailment of induced hearing. Proper information about the reputation of the doctor should be collected and then contact should be established. There are a good number of doctors who have a vast experience of treating patients of induced hearing. So, consult a good doctor of a good experience for the better treatment of your hearing problem.
Guidelines for those suffering from induced hearing
Several remedies are there for those who are traced with the symptoms of induced hearing and for those who are already suffering from induced hearing. Those who will strictly and solemnly follow all these things will be able to save them from further damage. Some of the guidelines are:
1- Listen to the music in low sound, in about 35-45 decibels. This is safe.
2- Use fewer headphones or neglect the use of headphones. The sound of headphones is 105 decibels, which are highly harmful and risky.
3- The fixed sound rate id 70 decibels, if the level of sound will be more than this, then there will be the problem.
4- Attend concerts with great care. Have a safe side with and use napkins or cotton buds to block your ear with high sound. Earplugs can also serve for this purpose.
5- Students and teachers of the music field must take care of their auditory faculty by not using high pitched musical instruments.
6- Check the unnecessary noise in your vicinity and stop it immediately.
One should not play music at the top sound, as it will create panic, mental imbalance, and physical imbalance too.
7- Consult a doctor immediately if the problem is traced. One should not neglect this if the symptom of induced hearing is traced.
Induced hearing is a problem that can happen to anybody, but there is no need to panic in this case. The remedy of this problem is in our hands and can be shorted out in a while by the one. Following some of the guidelines and abstaining from going to places full of noise and unnecessary parties and concerts. The problem looks slight but the consequences are pretty massive and several health issues can happen due to this. The most dangerous outcome of the induced hearing is psychological imbalance. The problem of induced hearing can be cured successfully by the man himself who is suffering from that problem consequently. The problem is most common in adults, so they need to be careful and children are more prone to this, so they need to be wary of using musical gadgets much.
