The world has got noisier with MP3 players, mobile phones and nightclubs putting young people, in particular, at risk of hearing damage. Susan Calnan reports
Greater awareness about the risks of permanent hearing loss resulting from exposure to excessive noise levels should be encouraged, according to Søren Dalmark, president of the Danish Association for Better Hearing (LBH). Dalmark, who will be speaking at a one-day conference hosted by the Cork Deaf Association (CDA) on Friday, warns that young people in particular need to be made more aware about the dangers of noise-induced hearing loss.
"Prolonged use of MP3 players at high volumes could pose a particular risk to users, as sound is being directly transmitted into the ear, and young people often listen to these players for a few hours each day," says Dalmark.
The three key factors that determine the risk of noise damage, according to Dalmark, are the level of noise, the length of exposure time and the distance of the sound source from the ear. Listening to loud music for long periods of time at very close proximity therefore poses a particularly high risk.
Noise-induced hearing loss occurs when the sensitive hair cells in the ear and the auditory nerve become damaged either due to a sudden intense noise, such as an explosion, or due to continuous exposure to loud noise.
One of the early warning signs that hearing damage may have occurred is intermittent ringing in the ears. According to the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID) in the UK, prolonged exposure to sounds over 80 decibels can potentially damage people's hearing. The noise level of an average conversation is about 50-60 decibels, while noise levels at nightclubs can range from 90 to 105 decibels, reaching up to 125 decibels at a rock concert.
Audiologist Rory Perry, who will also be speaking at Friday's CDA conference, warns that continuous exposure to loud noise can desensitise people's hearing.
"We are living in a much noisier environment today. Although much has been done to raise awareness about dangerous noise levels in construction and heavy industry, there are also substantial risks in the commercial world," says Perry.
"For example, many offices today are open plan, so there tends to be a lot of background noise; as a result, someone who is on the phone or using a headset may turn the volume levels up which, over a prolonged period of time, is not good for a person's hearing."
Perry says he has noticed how more people from the entertainment industry, in particular DJs, are becoming concerned about their hearing. He recommends that anyone who works in a noisy environment such as a nightclub gets their hearing checked on a regular basis to ensure that no hearing damage has occurred, and that they wear protective hearing equipment, such as good-quality earplugs.
But although the risk factors relating to noise-induced hearing loss are greater than ever, awareness and preventive measures in this area are thought to be gradually increasing.
A Health and Safety Authority inspector, who is also due to speak at this week's conference, points to new legislation that came into effect in the workplace in July - the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Control of Noise at Work) Regulations 2006 - which transpose the EU noise directive, lowering the maximum noise levels at which employers must provide protective hearing equipment to employees by five decibels.
"Employers are now legally obliged to provide hearing protection if noise levels exceed 80 decibels; if noise levels exceed 85 decibels, it is compulsory for employees to wear hearing protection," the HSA spokesperson explains.
In individual countries, greater efforts are also being made to raise awareness about the risks of noise-induced hearing damage for all age groups. In Britain, for example, the RNID is calling on the leading manufacturers of MP3 players to protect consumers by providing clearer warnings on packaging about the dangers of listening too loudly to their products.
This followed research conducted by the institute's don't lose the music campaign which revealed that 58 per cent of the 16-30 year-olds surveyed were completely unaware of any risk to their hearing caused by use of MP3 players or other audio products that attach directly to the ear.
In Germany, where hearing loss is thought to be the most common work-related affliction, measures are being taken to reduce noise levels in nursery schools and after-school institutions. A small noise monitor has been developed to respond to noise levels above 55 decibels, which indicates the severity of the noise level by flashing red, orange or green, alerting children when to reduce noise levels.
In Denmark, which is said to have among the best services in the world for hearing-impaired and deafened people, Dalmark's organisation LBH holds information campaigns in schools and at music festivals warning young people about the dangers of excessive noise levels.
Among its campaigns, the organisation has also been lobbying for an upper noise limit to be fixed at outdoor rock concerts, as well as a ban on the sale and use of fireworks emitting noise.
"Many people tend to associate hearing loss with old age; however, hearing damage can occur at any age, although the signs may not always be readily noticeable at first," says Dalmark. "In the majority of cases, hearing loss is permanent and irreversible; unfortunately, people usually don't do something about this problem until it is too late and when the damage has already occurred, which is why we are highlighting the importance of prevention and the need for more stringent regulations in this area," he says.
The Cork Deaf Association's one-day conference will take place this Friday, October 6th, at the Gresham Metropole Hotel in Cork. For further information or to book a place, contact CDA on tel: 021-4505944.