Dubai: A disturbingly large number of children around the world are losing their hearing and by the time they are 30, most will have the hearing capacity of a 60 year old, an expert warns.
"The epidemic of hearing loss in children is not from diseases or inherited genetically or because of trauma, but due to noise exposure," Dr William Hal Martin, professor of otolaryngology said.
"It's a very noisy world we live in today and all of our toys are noisier than ever. The consequences [to our hearing] are permanent," Dr Martin, a professor of preventive medicine at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, said.
Giving a preview to Gulf News of his talk, Kids and Noise, at the Zahra Hospital in Sharjah, Dr Martin said children like to listen to loud music, play computer games with the volume turned up. All this noise reduces the life of their hearing, he said.
"There are many, many types of sound exposure and much of it is because children go where their parents go to [which include] noisy activities [such] as sporting events and concerts ...." He added that one cannot ask children to stop listening to music.
"The issue is not to stop them, but to give guidance on what are the safe levels, what sounds are dangerous when exposed to and how to protect themselves," he said.
Dr Martin advised that everyone must learn to be aware of the sound they are exposed to, not only the volume, the loudness, but also how long they are going to be around that sound.
He added that sound pressure is measured in decibels. If a sound reaches 85 decibels and over an extended period, it can permanently damage hearing.
"The safe level for an iPod is 80 per cent on the volume slider. If you listen to music at that level, you can safely listen for 90 minutes a day," he said.
He added that if you cannot measure the decibels, stand next to a person at an arm's length.
If you need to take out your head phones to hear him or her, then the noise level is too loud.
Dr Martin said loud sound has two effects — it physically damages your ears and it can lead to an affliction called Tinnitus.
"It is very debilitating. You cannot sleep. You can't sit and enjoy a book, because of the constant hissing, buzzing and ringing sounds in your ears." The doctor said Tinnitus can be cured, but in many cases there is some damage done to the ear and brain that creates that sound and cannot be treated.
Sound levels: Measure in decibels
Sound pressure is measured in decibels (dB). A normal conversation takes place at 60 dB. A sound at 120dB (at a rock concert or at a construction site) can cause damage to your ear.
Continuous noise even at a low level leads to high blood pressure, stress and anxiety, insomnia and learning disability.
In the US and Europe, 12 per cent of children aged between six to 19 years have some hearing loss exclusively attributed to loud sound exposure. While some countries have laws against noise in workplaces, there are no restrictions on noise levels outside.
What do you think of this study? Do you think children are losing their hearing? What can be done to prevent this from happening?
