It is a new technique trend to see our youth wearing earphones while talking on their phones. The spread of online classes and OTT has increased the use of cell phones and earphones. People from all promenades of life now have unlimited audio and video content at their fingertips.
Whether wired or Bluetooth-connected, Earphones provide a personalized audio experience in which the source of sound is very close to the eardrums. You could argue that most of these devices warn us when approaching the limit, but we can always override them! As a result, it can become excessive if we do not keep a conscious limit on sound intensity.
So, what is the source of our concern? Constant exposure to loud sounds can cause irreversible hearing loss in the long run.
Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) is a severe issue. Previously, it was primarily an occupational hazard for factory workers and heavy vehicle drivers. However, the prevalence of’sociacusis,’ or NIHL caused by recreational activities (car/bike racing, video gaming/play station, rock music,’ silent disco,’ etc.) is increasing alarmingly, particularly among young people. What is the limit?
If NIHL is to be avoided, an individual can only be exposed to up to 90 decibels (dB) of sound for 8 hours, five days per week. If we increase the volume by 5 dB, the exposure time must be cut half. So, at 95 decibels, the limit is 4 hours, at 100 decibels, 2 hours, and at 115 decibels (maximum volume delivered through an earphone), the limit is only 15 minutes! Imagine the chance of a young person’s ears as they sit next to an open window of a metropolis bus in noisy gridlock, listening to FM radio at total volume (it has to be at the complete book, or else music will not be audible with so much ambient noise), and the extended travels back home, which is hampered by traffic jams.
On World Hearing Day, March 3rd, we want to raise awareness about the harmful effects of noise on our ears. “Listen carefully if you want to hear for the rest of your life.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared this day’s theme “to hear for life, listen with care.” Its key messages are as follows: I With proper ear care, it is possible to maintain good hearing throughout one’s life; ii) many causes of hearing loss, including NIHL; iii)’safe listening’ can reduce the risk of NIHL; and iv) WHO urges governments and industry partners to raise awareness and promote safe listening among the general public, particularly young adults.
The reasons for the urgent need to spread this awareness are as follows: I NIHL is not recognized by the victim in its early stages (until they witness tinnitus = ringing sound in their ears) because it affects high frequencies and our everyday conversation is in lower frequencies, and ii) NIHL has no treatment or cure. In contrast to the well-known medical proverb “prevention is better than cure,” the slogan for NIHL is “prevention only and no cure.” So, the take-home message is to use earphones only in quiet places, at the lowest volume attainable, for the shortest amount of time conceivable, with frequent breaks. That is why it is said that “wise ears last a lifetime!”
This release is articulated by Prittle Prattle News in the form of an authored article.
