Everyday we put ourselves at risk for a variety of preventable illnesses, noise induced hearing loss is one of the most common of those illnesses. The second leading cause of hearing loss, noise induced hearing loss, is virtually, completely preventable. This hearing loss can result from long time and continuous exposure to the volume on a TV, iPod, concerts, or activities such as playing in a band or the use of fire arms. Hearing loss can also result from short extreme exposure such as an explosion.
The ear is comprised of very sensitive structures called stereocilia that can be temporarily paralyzed by loud noises, but after continual exposure to those loud volumes eventually the stereocilia will die completely, causing hearing loss. A simple solution to this hearing loss is to monitor the volume on any device, and to wear protective ear gear when working or spending time in an environment that produces continually loud noises.
Work environments are one of the most common places to risk hearing loss, especially construction work sites, or mines. While this is generally a larger problem for adults in the working community, audiologists have seen a rise in children facing noise induced hearing loss. Researchers suspect the rise in personal electronic devices with the use of ear buds has caused this increase, emphasizing the importance of reminding youths to monitor their volume.
Perhaps one of the most frightening aspects of noise induced hearing loss is that it typically occurs slowly over time, and people don't always know how much hearing loss they are experiencing by exposing themselves to loud noises until it is too late. Noise induced hearing loss is permanent, once it is gone, it is gone. Signs that someone may be experiencing noise induced hearing loss could be hearing sounds as muffled or distorted, always asking others to speak up, or constantly feeling the need to increase the volume on the television.
The ear is comprised of very sensitive structures called stereocilia that can be temporarily paralyzed by loud noises, but after continual exposure to those loud volumes eventually the stereocilia will die completely, causing hearing loss. A simple solution to this hearing loss is to monitor the volume on any device, and to wear protective ear gear when working or spending time in an environment that produces continually loud noises.
Work environments are one of the most common places to risk hearing loss, especially construction work sites, or mines. While this is generally a larger problem for adults in the working community, audiologists have seen a rise in children facing noise induced hearing loss. Researchers suspect the rise in personal electronic devices with the use of ear buds has caused this increase, emphasizing the importance of reminding youths to monitor their volume.
Perhaps one of the most frightening aspects of noise induced hearing loss is that it typically occurs slowly over time, and people don't always know how much hearing loss they are experiencing by exposing themselves to loud noises until it is too late. Noise induced hearing loss is permanent, once it is gone, it is gone. Signs that someone may be experiencing noise induced hearing loss could be hearing sounds as muffled or distorted, always asking others to speak up, or constantly feeling the need to increase the volume on the television.
"Noise-Induced Hearing Loss." National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. US Department of Health and Human Services, n.d. Google. Web. 6 Feb. 2015. <http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/pages/noise.aspx>.
Rabinowitz, Peter M. Noise-Induced Hearing Loss. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Google. Web. 6 Feb. 2015. <http://hannaziegler.tripod.com/ent/varia/rabinowi.pdf>.
