Get your hearing tested because once it's gone - it's gone!
- Aug 30th, 2010
Today more than ever before, hearing loss is not just a condition of the elderly. Greater exposure to loud ‘recreational’ noise such as rock concerts or the misuse of personal music systems like MP3 players are causing worrying hearing loss among young people – in some cases as young as ten years of age.
People aged 45 and above, the so-called Baby Boomer generation, enjoyed very loud music throughout the 50s, 60s and 70s. And not surprisingly, hearing clinics are seeing a growing number of this age group with hearing loss. But modern technology has made the problem of hearing loss an ageless issue.
If you can hear what someone wearing a personal music system is listening to, it’s too loud and it is causing damage to the delicate anatomy of hearing. In fact, if ever a noise gets up over 100 decibels, for longer than 15 minutes, there will probably be damage. 100 decibels is the same as standing next to a typical petrol-powered lawn mower. Some MP3 players can go louder still.
The best thing anyone can do for themselves or someone they care about to minimise hearing damage from loud noise is to wear musicians earplugs or ear muffs. Many industries and musicians are increasingly aware of this. Earplugs can be fitted by a hearing clinician that do not impinge on the quality and clarity of the music (or sound) but which significantly reduce the impact of loud music or noise to within safer levels.
Modern hearing instruments are nothing like the beige hearing aids of years gone by. Designers have developed sophisticated devices that not only work extremely well, they look good too. “The technology now is quite attractive and the instruments themselves are surprisingly small”, says Connect Hearing Clinician Christopher Brew. “But we are entering a very exciting time in technological development and we will soon see more powerful, even smaller and even ‘cooler’ devices in the near future”. He says that new technology will enable wearers of new hearing devices to connect wirelessly to mobile phones, TVs and computers.
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