Listen up! Rockers and their fans face the music with hearing damage.Do rockers like Metallica and Aerosmith know something their fans don't? While audiences in jam-packed arenas are screaming in sync to the blasting music, the musicians don earplugs on stage to keep noise levels under control. Aerosmith even uses special ear monitors to lower the music level they play as it's fed back to them. Are the rockers on to something? You bet. They know their big noise can damage hearing. Last year a University of Florida University of Florida is the third-largest university in the United States, with 50,912 students (as of Fall 2006) and has the eighth-largest budget (nearly $1.9 billion per year). UF is home to 16 colleges and more than 150 research centers and institutes. study revealed that 17 percent of middle and high school students nationwide suffer some degree of hearing loss. In similar studies 20 years ago, only 2.5 percent of students the same age reported such problems. "Today's young people, who often crank up their headphones or car stereos, are at great risk for losing some hearing in coming years," warns audiologist Audiologist A person with a degree and/or certification in the areas of identification and measurement of hearing impairments and rehabilitation of those with hearing problems. Alice Holmes, a researcher on the new study. In fact, 28 million Americans already suffer from impaired hearing. NOW HEAR THIS! How can loud music cause hearing loss? Start with the outer ear, where sound is funneled into the eardrum ear·drum n. The thin, semitransparent, oval-shaped membrane that separates the middle ear from the external ear. Also called drum, drumhead, drum membrane, myringa, myrinx, tympanic membrane, (see diagram, top right). Music then enters the inner ear, which contains a snail-shaped area, called the cochlea cochlea (kŏk`lēə): see ear. , filled with fluid. The fluid vibrates with the sound, in turn causing the cilia cilia /cil·ia/ (sil´e-ah) sing. cil´ium [L.] 1. the eyelids or their outer edges. 2. the eyelashes. 3. (tiny hairlike structures in the cochlea) to vibrate as well. The cilia transmits the vibrations in the form of nerve impulses to the auditory nerve. The auditory nerve then carries sounds to the brain, which tells you just what you're hearing. But intense sound waves can damage the cilia, which can bend and sometimes break. Once damaged, cilia never recover 100 percent--and are prey to even more injury from repeated exposure to strong sound waves. Eventually, cells attached to the cilia die. The result: hearing loss ranging from tinnitus Tinnitus Definition Tinnitus is hearing ringing, buzzing, or other sounds without an external cause. Patients may experience tinnitus in one or both ears or in the head. , a constant ringing in the ears, to total deafness--for which there is no cure. No one knows how long it takes to develop hearing impairment. For some people, listening to earsplitting ear·split·ting adj. Loud and shrill enough to hurt the ears. See Synonyms at loud. Adj. 1. earsplitting - loud enough to cause (temporary) hearing loss deafening, thunderous, thundery music just once is enough to trigger hearing damage, says audiologist Holly Kaplan of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association. In short, a single rock concert can partially rob you of your precious ability to hear. TURN IT DOWN How loud is too loud when listening to music? The measurement tool is the decibel decibel (dĕs`əbĕl', –bəl), abbr. dB, unit used to measure the loudness of sound. It is one tenth of a bel (named for A. G. Bell), but the larger unit is rarely used. . Decibels measure the intensity (or amount of energy) produced by sounds, an indication of loudness. Experts say that exposing yourself continuously to sounds over 85 decibels is a set-up for future hearing problems (see chart, right). A rock concert typically produces sound levels between 100 and 120 decibels. Sometimes, music levels surpass a screeching 130 decibels! Fortunately rock fans--and musicians--are tuning in to hearing problems. One organization called HEAR (Hearing Education and Awareness for Rockers) is dedicated to raising awareness about hearing loss caused by deafening music. Rockers like Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1983. For most of its career, the group has consisted of vocalist Anthony Kiedis, guitarist John Frusciante, bassist Michael "Flea" Balzary, and drummer Chad Smith. , Sonic Youth, Primus, and Jane's Addiction support HEAR's campaign to turn down the amps. Their own agenda is simple: If the music is too loud, turn it down! Otherwise, rockers wear earplugs--and encourage their fans to wear them too. So it's time for you to face the music--and turn it down at home and in the car. Before you head to the next concert, write for a free pair of neon earplugs. Send a self-addressed stamped envelope A self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE), or just stamped addressed envelope (SAE) in the UK, is often just that: an envelope with the sender's name and address on it, with affixed paid postage and mailed to a company or private individual. to: Hearing Is Priceless House Ear Institute 2100 W. Third St., 5th floor Los Angeles, CA 90057 RELATED ARTICLE: How Loud is Loud Our ears are bombarded with all kinds of sounds, some damaging, even painful. Decibels (dB) measure the pressure of sound waves on your ears--an indication of loudness. Each increase of 10 dB represents a sound that is 10 times more powerful. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] |
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