Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), can affect all age
groups. Of particular concern to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, however, is NIHL in adolescence. According to the CDC “children
with mild to moderate hearing loss, on average, do not perform as well in
school…” (CDC, 2012) Due to excessive exposure to noise, 12.5% of children ages
6-19 years old have experienced permanent hearing damage. Let me tell you a bit
more about the types and concerns of hearing loss.
Excessive noise exposure that leads to NIHL can involve
anything from recreational activities such as noisy football games or rock
concerts, to loud working environments such as factories or construction sites.
Authors Naoki Oishi and Jochen Schacht of “Emerging treatments for
noise-induced hearing loss”, discuss two types of hearing loss. The first type
is a ‘temporary threshold shift’ (TTS). As is evidenced by its title, this type
of hearing loss is temporary and typically resolves within 24-48 hours of
excessive noise exposure (Oishi &Schacht, 2011). Little concern has been built
upon this type of hearing loss due to its immediate short-lived loss; however
it is not yet understood if TTS has long term effects on age and hearing. The
second type of hearing loss is a ‘permanent threshold shift’ in which hearing
damage becomes permanent. Different levels of hearing loss can accompany PTS in
ways that the damage may not even be noticed by the individual who has suffered
the loss.
Any number of people can be impacted by NIHL with unknown or
unrealized costs to daily living and quality of life. Noise related hearing
loss is 100% preventable (NIDCD, 2008). Two effective ways of preventing NIHL
among children as well as the adult population is avoiding/reducing exposure to
excessively loud noises and using protective hearing devices while in its
presence (CDC,2012). In order to effectively educate children at risk of NIHL,
it would be important to start with educating parents on the negative effects
hearing loss could have on their child and helping them understand what too
much noise is and how it can be prevented. Children could be more susceptible
to hearing loss during their stages of development because they are unaware of
the amount of noise that is considered unsafe for their ears.
The following link has additional information on studies being
done on ways to treat hearing loss and management to
prevent it from occurring. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3102156/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012).
Noise-induced hearing loss. Retrieved from
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication
Disorders. (2008). Noise-induced hearing loss.
Retrieved from http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/pages/noise.aspx
Oishi, N.,
Schacht, J. (2011). Emerging treatments for noise-induced hearing loss. NIH Public Access,
doi: 10.1517/14728214.2011.552427
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ReplyDeleteHey Emily!
ReplyDeleteReally an interesting and appropriate article for today’s generation!! I actually did a research speech on hearing loss a couple years ago and many points you hit clearly within your blog.
Today you can hardly go anywhere within the community, or especially around campus, without seeing people with ear buds/headphones on; music and noise are constantly at the demand of our finger tips and we are now starting to see the consequences.
As shown from the CDC website you had mentioned within your article, this is having a dangerous result with 12.5% of children and adolescents aged 6–19 years (approximately 5.2 million) and 17% of adults aged 20–69 years (approximately 26 million) have suffered permanent damage to their hearing from excessive exposure to noise(2012). Just as importantly there are not many options available after one experiences hearing loss. The use of a hearing aid is possible; however hearing aids can only make sounds loader, not clearer! This would be an excellent topic for school nurses to discuss with teenagers in middle school and high school. Many teens in this age category feel they are invincible or feel they don’t have to worry about their health now and are oblivious to what they are doing to their ears (I’m sure we have all went through this phase!). A really effective way I feel to get the point across would be to show them chart listed on the CDC website with all activities the correlating decibel level(http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/noise/signs.htm). I also agree 100% with getting parents involved with setting rules such as setting locks on their child’s MP3’s or limiting time to a certain amount of time per day. Of course parents should have their child screened at school.
As adults it is also important we are following the same rules we teach our children. Being aware of and adhering to company/factory policies with the use of protective devices is essential for our hearing health!
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). Noise-induced hearing loss. Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/noise/
Emily,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the information on the types of hearing loss; this is exactly the type of easily preventable health concern that public health nurses can be very effective at reducing the effects of. It seems like each generation exposes themselves to loud music and other loud noises more and more. This could be attributed in part to advancing technology. It is common to have sound systems in cars, music players with ear buds, and many social events such as concerts blast music which can be very damaging to ears. As public health nurses this issue would be best addressed if we use upstream thinking and focus on removing the cause or amount of exposure to these loud noises that are leading to TTS and PTS. It is very difficult to change behaviors and get kids to avoid these activities all together so I think it would be most helpful to educate them on how to still have fun but be safe as well. Education/awareness may include teaching the appropriate level to listen to ear buds, the safe amount of time you can expose yourself to constant noise each day, and perhaps wearing small ear plugs at concerts and other events with loud sound systems.
TTS and PTS are both easily preventable but also not something routinely discussed with our youth. I hope to see a positive change in the amount of people affected by this in the next few years.
Hi Emily!
ReplyDeleteI definitely think that NIHL is a growing problem and you wouldn’t normally associate hearing loss with children. Kids have unlimited access to various electronics that when turned all the way up can damage their ears. Even walking around our campus and in the hallways of schools there are multiple people with ear buds in listening to music or playing games. I think this is a very serious issue because it can be permanent and affect them in years to come. Short-term it can affect the child’s ability to learn in the classroom; which is a very serious issue. Keep in mind that this issue is completely preventable.
I completely agree that reducing exposure to excessively loud noises and using protective hearing devices when necessary would be effective. In order to enforce this there has to be some education. I don’t think parents know the limits on what is actually too loud for their child. I also think kids should be educated so they understand the negative effects of listening to music too loud and how it will hinder them in school and later in life.
I thought your source was very helpful in understanding this issue.
Emily,
ReplyDeleteI thought you did a really good job on organizing the information about Noise-Induced Hearing Loss. This was very informative, but this subject is always one that I try to avoid because it makes me paranoid! I love to listen to loud music, go to races, monster truck shows, rock concerts, and shoot guns at the range; so, you can see my dilemma!
Generally, when I go see the monster trucks or shooting, I wear ear protection. However, I feel that most things aren’t as exhilarating, though, if you are wearing ear plugs! What fun is a rock concert if the sound is muffled and your ears aren’t ringing for hours afterwards?!
I realize that this sort of attitude will most likely catch up with me later on in life, and this is why I get paranoid. I also believe that this is the same sort of attitude many people have around our age; we like to have fun and don’t necessarily think about the long term effects of what we are doing to our bodies. I must also add that I would be interested in any new research they are doing regarding TTS. You say that there is not too much concern being built upon TTS because it occurs immediately and is very short-termed. I hope this is true because my exposure to loud noises are usually only once in a while!
Emily -
ReplyDeleteYou did an excellent job explaining your topic and the risks associated with hearing loss. Hearing loss is something that we can all relate to. It is not only the cute little elderly patient during clinical anymore, it’s our children. Even my husband seems to have hearing loss at times - whether or not it is intentional or not has yet to be determined ;)
New York City is the first city to take an upstream approach to preventing permanent damage. An article posted last week on the New York Post (2013) states, "now listen up, if you can. Mayor Bloomberg — who has already cracked down on smoking, junk food, trans fats, salt and super-sized drinks — is embarking on a new crusade: preventing New Yorkers from going deaf". The $250,000 Hearing Loss Prevention Media Campaign will target teens and young adults through focus-groups and social-media on the dangers and risks of loud and long listening to personal music players.
This initiative is an extension from the 2005 law, “Operation Silent Night” while cracked down on “jolting jackhammer sounds at construction sites and on music blaring out of clubs, helping make New York quieter and more liveable” (Campanile, 2013).
More upstream approaches are needed beyond New York City with a 30 percent hearing loss increase among teens between 1988 and 2006. Teenagers need to be educated on the dangers of turning up their iPod too loud as “an iPod at maximum volume reaches 115 decibels [and] research says 85 decibels is safe” (Campanile, 2013). It’s just like driving a car; just because the car can drive 100 mph, doesn't mean you should. There are consequences. Listening to music at loud levels may not get you a ticket, but it might give you a lifetime of saying "huh!?"
Campanile, C. (2013, March 6). Mayor Bloomberg’s new health crusade: too-loud earbuds. Retrieved from http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/mayor_deaf_jammer_S37gCMR9xUDKw2vx9bjFVM
Emily,
ReplyDeleteI thought this was a great post about noise-induced hearing loss. Also, I think this information is extremely appropriate and relevant to today’s society. With all sorts of new technology being produced and advertised every day, consumers are at a greater risk for experiencing some sort of hearing loss. I don’t know about you, but anytime I have bought headphones, my first thought was not my hearing safety. Especially with the excitement of buying and using a new product, this thought may not cross a consumer’s mind until after a significant loss has already happened. I think that with mass production and packaging these days, companies could implement some sort of safety label on the packages. I know that most products have safety warnings in the user manuals, but many people overlook reading through the manual. I myself am guilty of doing just that and so if there was as short reminder on the packaging itself, maybe this would allow consumers to remember what safe level to listen at.
Additionally, I think schools could implement a hearing safety seminar. Nurses or community workers could come in and demonstrate some of the different decibel levels such as a hairdryer or blender and give children a chance to understand the level of noise. Also, public/community health nurses could demonstrate other safety tips such as turning the music down before inserting headphones. Overall, new and advanced technology has given all ages a greater chance of experiencing some sort of hearing loss. I think that education and prevention are critical components needed to avoid these types of hearing losses.