Hearing Loss
The WHO is also calling on governments to pass legislation to protect people from hearing loss while raising public awareness about the importance of prevention against the condition .
Using earplugs is one way to protect your ears against loud sounds
Director for the Department for Noncommunicable Diseases , in a press release . “ The risk is intensified as most audio devices , venues and events do not provide safe listening options and contribute to the risk of hearing loss . The new WHO standard aims to better safeguard young people as they enjoy their leisure activities .”
The WHO is also calling on governments to pass legislation to protect people from hearing loss while raising public awareness about the importance of prevention against the condition .
“ Governments , civil society and private sector entities such as manufacturers of personal audio devices , sound systems , and video gaming equipment as well as owners and managers of entertainment venues and events have an important role to play in advocating for the new global standard ,” said Dr Ren Minghui , WHO Assistant Director-General , in the press release . “ We must work together to promote safe listening practices , especially among young people .”
The benefits from such standards are evident in Switzerland which has the longest-standing sound regulations for entertainment venues in the world . These include limiting the average hourly sound levels to 100 decibels , measuring and recording sound levels , providing free earplugs to audiences , displaying information on safe listening , and providing quiet areas for events lasting more than three hours .
“ Since implementation , each Swiss canton has enforced these regulations . As a possible consequence , 39 percent of attendees at festivals in Switzerland now wear hearing protection – a considerably higher percentage than reported in other countries ,” says the World Report on Hearing .
Awareness campaigns can also play an important preventive role as evidenced by one initiative in the northern part of Belgium where the Flemish government provided high school students with information on the detrimental effects of recreational noise and how to prevent them through hearing protection . The result was that the use of hearing protection increased from 3.6 percent before the campaign to 14.3 percent .
How to protect your ears Sound volume , exposure time , and frequency are all aspects to consider in gauging the risks of listening to loud sounds . Naturally , the louder the volume and the longer the duration , the higher the risk for hearing loss .
Decibels ( dB ) are the unit of measurement for sound , with a whisper measuring about 30 dB , normal conversation standing at roughly 60 dB , and a motorcycle reaching around 95 dB .
The US CDC says that noise above 70 dB over a prolonged period of time can start to damage your hearing while loud noises above 120 dB can cause immediate harm to your ears . Dr Samuel Couth , a researcher in hearing science at the University of Manchester , wrote in The Conversation that , “ if the sound in a typical concert is around 105 dB , a person would exceed their daily noise dose within approximately five minutes of being there .”
If you have to speak louder to be heard at an arm ’ s length , environmental noise is likely above 85 dB and could harm your hearing over time . Another telltale sign that the sound you are listening to is harmful is when you feel pain or a ringing sensation in the ears . But if you want to be sure and accurately gauge your risk , you can use a sound level metre ( SLM ) to measure the noise around you . These are free as smartphone apps .
The WHO advises young people to keep the volume down on audio devices , using well-fitted and noise-cancelling earphones and headphones as well as earplugs at noisy places and having hearing check-ups on a regular basis . People who are in noisy environments should take short breaks by moving to a quiet area . “ This could help the sensory cells to recover from the fatigue caused by noise exposure and reduce the risk of hearing loss ,” reads the WHO report .
For music listeners , Dr Couth recommends musicians ’ earplugs “ as these are designed to evenly balance noise reduction across all frequencies , which preserves the quality of the music .” He adds that people should get their hearing tested once in their 20s , as a baseline , and then have a check-up every five years to detect any potential damage . People who are regularly exposed to noise should test more frequently .
Dr Cory Portnuff , an audiologist at the University of Colorado Hospital , told the New York Times that both earbuds and headphones could damage the ears and offered some basic guidelines for keeping volume at a safe intensity . If you want to prevent hearing damage
66 ISSUE 1 | 2023 GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com