The objective of the study was to compare awareness of music-induced hearing loss to the behavior trends. The article states that they believe that music-induced hearing loss is an unconsciously self-inflicted public health concern and it could evolve into an epidemic because of the appeal of loud music.

The results showed that hearing loss was considered a problem by 32% of the 2500 respondents compared with other health issues such as drug/alcohol use (62%). However, nearly half of the respondents admitted experiencing symptoms such as tinnitus or hearing loss after loud music exposure.

Seventy-five percent of respondents owned an MP3 player, with 24 percent listening to their music player for more than 15 hours a week. Nearly half of the respondents also said they use their player at 75 percent to 100 percent of its maximum volume capacity.

Most respondents could not remember learning about prevention of potential hearing loss, although the media has become the most informative source. Most respondents indicated that they would adopt protective ear behavior if made aware of hearing loss risk, especially if informed by health care professionals, revealing an educational opportunity.

This is an very telling study in that it show two things.

#1 – Respondents could not recall being informed about hearing loss risks.
#2 – Respondents would be in favor of using hearing protection if they were ever educated about the risks.

Help us spread the word about the risk of music-induced hearing loss. Listening to your portable music player is detrimental to your hearing wellness. Take a look at our blog post about putting a limit on your iPod volume.

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A new review of existing employer hearing protection programs seems to indicate that there is little evidence to support the workplace programs. That doesn’t mean that workers don’t wear earplugs and other hearing protection devices, but the study reviewers indicate that they may not always be effective.

Review lead author Jos Verbeek indicated that in terms of the big hearing wellness picture, “We still rely too much on hearing protection, which is not sufficient.” In an article published by Health Behavior News Service, a Colorado audiologist agrees, saying that hearing loss is a very common workplace injury and itís very invisible, saying it takes a while for it to get bad enough for people to pay attention.

Reasons cited that hearing loss protection programs may not work include people not wearing earplugs when they are supposed to, and being exposed to excessive noise levels as a result. Also, low-quality earplugs that are designed as a “one-size-fits-all” may not work properly for everyone. Further, proper use of earplugs requires simple training, because proper use consists of more than just sticking them in your ears.

The overall best solution to protecting hearing wellness is to reduce exposure to loud or extended noise, which may not always be feasible due to expenses — especially in today’s tough economy. However, the study authors recommend some less-costly measures such as enclosures around noisy machinery and simply soundproofing noisy workrooms.

Ultimately, people must take personal responsibility of ensuring hearing health. Taking hearing wellness supplements like ProHieran can also help provide hearing wellness as well as promote overall cellular health.

Prohieran.com

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One of the reasons people love to attend sporting events so much is the roar of the crowds, the bands and drums, the entertainment, and of course, the reactions, whistles, horns, cheers, chants and screams whenever your favorite team — or the opponents — score. Players cite the same reasons as well for why they love to play in front of large crowds.

But, if you’ve ever left a sporting event with a ringing in your ears, felt head pressure, or feel like you have earplugs in (but you don’t), then quite possibly your ears are taking a temporary time-out from the action. The result is what is referred to as a temporary hearing loss.

Determining what is considered an excessive and potentially dangerous noise level is difficult. Some hearing specialists say that sounds louder than 85 decibels are potentially hazardous to your hearing. This means that an extended exposure to any sound louder than a normal conversation can potentially be hurting your hearing. By comparison, a lawn mower is considered about 95 decibels. The roars of sporting events have been recorded at 108 decibels in previous studies.

According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, an estimated 30 million Americans are regularly exposed to dangerous noise levels. That is an increase of 10 million from just a few years ago. These numbers include many young people who, due to environmental noise exposure, experience diminished hearing in their teens and 20s.

Why no one is saying you shouldn’t go to your favorite sporting eventóor concert or car raceóyou should do what you can to protect your hearing. Keep your ears at their optimal by wearing ear plugs. Also consider supplements like ProHieran for promoting overall hearing wellness.

Learn more about ProHieran here.

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