Beware Risk of Hearing Loss from Loud Music
Further to my post the other day, WHO has recently issued this scary statistic re the risk to hearing due to the prevalence of young people in particular being exposed to high levels of music. If you are exposed to high levels of noise and turn up the volume on your music device and find the next day that it is too loud, then you are a prime candidate for an early hearing loss. We must trust our ears with respect. Once the damage is done, it cannot be rectified. Tread with care.
One billion young at risk of hearing loss from loud music: WHO
February 27, 2015 2:32 PM
Geneva (AFP) – More than one billion young people risk damaging their hearing through listening to loud music, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.
The WHO estimates that around half of those between the ages of 12 and 35 in middle- and high-income countries are at risk due to unsafe levels of sound on personal audio devices or smartphones.
Another 40 percent are at risk from damaging audio levels at concert venues and night clubs.
“More and more young people are exposed to unsafe levels of sounds. Young people should be aware that once you lose your hearing, it won’t come back,” said Shelley Chadha, a WHO specialist on hearing impairment.
The UN health agency considers a volume above 85 decibels for eight hours or 100 decibels for 15 minutes as unsafe.
Exposure to traffic noise at peak hours can reach 85 decibels.
People attend a concert during the Rock-en-Seine music festival on August 22, 2014 in Saint-Cloud, n …
The vuvuzela, a popular wind instrument used in stadiums during the football World Cup in South Africa in 2010, has a sound intensity of 120 decibels and over nine seconds of exposure could result in irreversible hearing damage.
“It is something we can live without,” Chadha said referring to the vuvuzela.
To counter the risks, the WHO recommends that personal audio devices should not be used for more than an hour a day, at reduced sound levels.
The use of ear plugs in loud conditions and regular check ups were part of the recommendations as well.
The WHO also wants governments to play a role by imposing strict regulations on noise in public places.
The UN agency estimates that 360 million people suffer from hearing loss worldwide. In addition to noise related causes and ageing, it is also brought on by infectious diseases, genetic conditions, complications at birth, and use of certain drugs.