Sunday, June 5, 2011

NIHL

Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL)

  • Can be caused by a one-time exposure to loud sound
  • Can be caused by repeated exposure to sounds at various loudness levels over an extended period of time

Noise can be dangerous if:

  • You have to shout over background noise to be heard
  • The noise is painful to your ears
  • The noise makes your ears ring
  • You have decreased of ‘muffled’ hearing for several hours after exposure

Tinnitus “ringing in the ears”

  • Can also be perceived as: hissing, roaring, whistling, chirping or clicking
  • Can be: intermittent or constant with single or multiple tones
  • Perceived volume can range from subtle to shattering

Noise exposure can: trigger or worsen Tinnitus

When listening to music on earphones/earbuds at a standard volume level 5, the sound generated reaches a level of 100dB, loud enough to cause permanent damage after just 15 min per day. (2001-2011 Dangerous Decibels, dangerousdecibels.org)

Amplified rock music (or any other type of genera) at 4-6 ft., some car stereos, and band practice has been measured at 110 dB+

Hearing loss hits 1 in 5 U.S. Teens , an increase of

31% since the mid-‘90s

By Anne Godlasky, USA Today Feb, 2011 Source: Journal of the American Medical Association


When listening to music on earphones at a standard volume level 5, the sound generated reaches a level of 100dB, loud enough to cause permanent damage after just 15 minutes per day!

2001-2011 Dangerous Decibels, dangeroiusdecibels.org

Some 5.2 million 6-19 year olds have hearing loss directly related to noise exposure.

The national Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Niskar, et al. 2000


Study finds Hearing Loss in 1 in 4 College students:

Up to one-quarter of college students tested suffered from hearing loss, an unexpected finding that may be due to the use of personal music players such as MP3 players.

Supplemental issue of the International Journal of Audiology. Preidt, R., 2011, HealthDay [http://www.healthday.com/]


In North America…children may receive more noise at school than workers from an 8-hour workday at a factory…

Prevention of Noise Induced Hearing Loss, World Health Organization, Geneva, 1997


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