Hear Today...Gone Tomorrow

Use of ear bud headphones by youngsters may save your ears from being assaulted by the noise of your teenagers’ music or electronic game but are they damaging your child’s hearing?

“Three in five Americans, especially youth, are prone to develop hearing loss due to loud music being delivered via ear buds,” said Jyoti Bhayani, certified audiologist at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital. Sound that is too loud, especially close to the ear, is harmful. “The truth about hearing is loud and painful – once a nerve is damaged, it cannot be restored. It is gone forever.”

One in 10 Americans has a hearing loss that affects his or her ability to understand normal speech. Aging is the most common cause of this condition. However, exposure to excessive noise also can damage hearing in higher pitches. “Hearing loss due to excessive noise is totally preventable, unlike old age or a medical condition,” said Dr. Bhayani. “Many think it is cool to rock out to loud music, especially with your headphones on – but is it cool to wear a hearing aid?”

Loud Noise Kills Ear Nerve Endings Permanently

Three small bones in the middle ear help transfer sound vibrations to the inner ear where they become nerve impulses that the brain interprets as sound. “When noise is too loud, it begins to kill the hair cells and nerve endings in the inner ear,” explained Dr. Bhayani. “The louder a noise, the longer the exposure, and the closer you are to the noise source, the more damaging it is to your nerve endings, or your hearing.” As the number of nerve endings decreases due to damage, so does your hearing. Nerve endings cannot be healed or regenerated and the damage is permanent.

Music to My Ears Or Noise?

“Chicago can be a noisy place to live and it is important to know the intensity of the sounds around you,” said Dr. Bhayani, who regularly cares for construction and factory workers, frequent air travelers and seniors in her practice at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital. “I recommend using hearing protection devices for those who are exposed to excessive, loud noises and musician’s ear plugs which simply attenuate the intensity/loudness withoutaltering frequency response.” People can be individually sensitive to levels of sound, but experts recommend using hearing protection when exposed to sounds louder than 85 decibels for an extended time.

What The ‘EL? Common Noise Levels In Chicago

Here are the registered levels for common sounds in Chicago*:
Decibel Level (db) Sound
30 soft whisper
50 rainfall
60 normal conversation
70 expressway traffic
85 - earplugs recommended for prolonged exposure
90 subway/”el” train, lawnmower, shop tools
100 chainsaw, snowmobile, drill
110 power saw
115 loud rock concert, car horn130 racecar150 fireworks/jet engine take off/170 shotgun