Music:Listening to more than one hour a day could make you deaf

Listening to loud music for more than an hour a day can make you deaf, health experts said today.

59. Indeed, We sent Nuh (Noah) to his people and he said: "O my people! Worship Allah! You have no otherIlah (God) but Him. (La ilaha ill-Allah: none has the right to be worshipped but Allah). Certainly, I fear for you the torment of a Great Day!"

60. The leaders of his people said: "Verily, we see you in plain error."

61. [Nuh (Noah)] said: "O my people! There is no error in me, but I am a Messenger from the Lord of the'Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists)!

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64. But they belied him, so We saved him and those along with him in the ship, and We drowned those who belied Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.). They were indeed a blind people. 7. Surah Al-A'raf (The Heights)

They also warned that audio devices should be played at no more than 60% volume and that noisy concerts and bars posed a serious threat of hearing loss.

The World Health Organisation reckon 1.1 billion young adults are at risk.

Their figures show 43million 12 to 35-year-olds are already affected.

The proportion of US teenagers with hearing loss went from 3.5% in 1994 to 5.3% in 2006.

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WHO director for injury prevention Dr Etienne Krug said limiting listening to an hour a day was a good ambition.

He added: “That’s a rough recommendation to those spending 10 hours a day listening to an mp3 player.

“But even an hour can be too much if it is too loud.”

WHO is also advising noise-cancelling headphones for plane or train journeys, earplugs for noisy venues, taking listening breaks and standing away from speakers at gigs.

Paul Breckell, boss of the charity Action on Hearing Loss, said: “To stay safe you should halve listening time for every three decibel rise in the level of loud music.”

He went on: “I strongly urge music lovers to consider the long-term risks of listening to personal players over the 85 decibels safe level.

“Over exposure can also trigger other ear conditions such as tinnitus.

“Remember, a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones really can make all the difference.”

A 2013 EU directive now makes it obligatory for new audio devices to carry a warning that users risk damaging their hearing after listening to 20 hours of sound at 85 decibels.

All ambient noise completely shut out and music blaring loudly into your ears. Sounds familiar? This is an experience we all enjoy. Whether we are walking, riding a bike, driving a car, or travelling by bus, life seems incomplete without a pair of earphones plugged into your ears. But did you know that this habit could potentially make you deaf?

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Dr Sunil Narayan Dutt, senior consultant, ENT, Apollo Hospitals calls this trend worrisome. It has a two-fold impact, he explains. "One is the impact loud music has on the inner ear that causes hearing loss and the second is pinna, resulting from plugging those earphones," Dr Dutt says.

He adds that out of the 40 patients that come to the ENT outpatient department, at least one or two are young patients from IT companies and call centres. They come with either tinnitus and noise induced hearing loss or some ear canal inflammations. When a person listens to music for a long period of time, it causes a sustained impact and loss could be permanent. "We are talking about frequencies of 4 kilohertz (kHz) and above. Patients with sudden onset of deafness or progressive hearing loss along with a ringing noise in the ears, suffer from tinnitus. Very rarely there may be transient dizziness or vertigo,” he explains.

Another important side-effect is inflammation of the skin due to prolonged pressure or friction.

This also leads to clogging, ear canal infections and occasional allergic reactions to the plug materials. This is termed as Otitis externa and Perichondritis.

What is it that prompts people to increase the volume of music they are listening to? "When the background noise is higher, in case a person is travelling in an aircraft, there is a natural tendency to increase the volume of the music," says Dr Dutt.

Permissible noise levels

While industrial standards say that up to 85 decibels of exposure for eight hours without protection is acceptable, prolonged exposures of even 70 to 80 decibels for four to six hours can be detrimental.

"To give you an idea of these noise levels, let me tell you that conversational noise levels come up to around 80 decibels. So, loud music leads to hair cell damage in the cochlea. It causes tinnitus and ear block and if one experiences this for more than six hours, it is good to consult an audiologist and get an audiogram done. Auditory fatigue and Temporary Threshold Shift (TTS) are usually around 4 kHz frequency and are reversed within 24 to 48 hours. If the exposure is higher than 90 decibels for more than eight hours, the loss may be permanent and this is called Permanent Threshold Shift (PTS). While there are several ways of handling damage caused to your ears, the best way is to control the volumes at which you listen to music on a regular basis,” Dr Dutt says.

Dr Shantanu Tandon, consultant ENT surgeon, Sakra World Hospital says that long term use of earphones leads to Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NHIL) where hair cells of the inner ear get damaged. "NHIL is one of the most common outcomes of this problem. It affects all age groups, but is one of the largest causes of non-infective hearing loss in adults, especially teenagers. Youngsters and children are more prone to developing ear damage due to loud sounds," he says.

Use of noise-cancelling headphones, is supposed to be better than earphones. These block out background noise and allow you to lower the volume. Try to take regular breaks from your headphones to give your ears a rest.

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Dr T Shivram Shetty from JSS Medical College and Hospital suggests controlling that volume button. “If it is soft music within the range of 40-60 dB for a shorter period of time, it may not cause any ear damage,” he says.

How to listen to music and keep ears safe too

If you cannot live without that dose of music every day, doctors say that there is a method that allows you to listen to music while keeping your ears safe.

Two or three listening episodes of about one to two hours each at mid-volume are recommended for safe listening with earplugs or headphones.

In addition to just how loud the volume of music is, Dr Tandon says that earphones that do not fit properly may easily cause bacterial infection, and fungal disease .

"Hearing loss is the most common problem. Ear infections due to earphone use are uncommon," he notes.

Although early symptoms of NHIL may be mild, symptoms get more pronounced as time progresses, says Dr Tandon.

Signs of hearing loss

■  In the initial stages sounds may become distorted or muffled

■  You may start watching TV or listening to the radio at high volumes

■  You may experience tinnitus-a ringing, buzzing, or roaring in the ears or head.

■  After small periods of really loud music, you may get an actual hearing loss due to a process called Temporary Threshold Shift (TTS). However, this may partially or completely improve after one or two days.

■  Permanent hearing loss may occur after chronic use.

As soon as one has any of the above symptoms, one should consult an ENT specialist, Dr Tandon advises.

"If an ear infection occurs involving the outer ear passage, it can be treated with medication. Surgery is chosen only if the infection is severe. If surgery is not required for an ear infection, eardrops and medications are usually enough to provide relief from pain or irritation

How earphones slowly damage your ears based on the loudness of the music

Dr Tandon says most earphones produce sound in the range of 95-108 dB at regular volumes and 115 dB at high volumes.

■  At 95 dB, damage will occur after four hours of exposure per day.

■  At 100 dB, damage will occur after two hours of exposure per day.

■  At 105 dB, damage will occur after one hour of exposure per day.

■  At 110 dB, damage will occur after 30 minutes of exposure per day.

■  At 115 dB, damage will occur after 15 minutes of exposure per day.

■  At 120-plus dB, damage occurs almost immediately

You want to know if loud music can hurt your ears. Are you asking because you like to put on your headphones and crank up the volume of your favorite CD? Maybe your mom or dad has told you, "Turn that down before you go deaf!" Well, they have a point. Loud noise (from music or other sources such as machinery or jet engines) can cause both temporary and permanent hearing loss.

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Hearing loss means someone can't hear as well as other people do. For some people, that means not being able to hear at all.

If the noise around you is so loud that you have to shout to be heard, there is a chance that the mechanism inside your ear can be injured. Temporary hearing loss can happen after you've been exposed to loud noise for any duration. If you have temporary hearing loss, you won't be able to hear as well as you normally do for a while. Don't worry, it will go away (usually after a good night's sleep).But it means that the next time you're around loud noise, you should wear protection to avoid permanent hearing loss.

You also could have tinnitus (say: tih-neye-tus), which is a medical term for ringing in the ears. Your ears can feel "full," too. Although your hearing often returns to normal, the dangerous part is that you can lose it permanently if you listen to loud noise or music over and over again.

If someone is exposed to loud noise over a long period of time, like every day, permanent hearing loss can occur. This means the person's hearing won't ever be as good as it once was. That's why construction workers and factory workers need to wear ear protection. Lawn mowers and power tools, like chainsaws, also can be loud enough to affect someone's ability to hear high-pitched noises. This kind of noise also can cause a person to have tinnitus all the time.

Listening to loud music a lot can cause the same kind of damage, especially if headphones or ear buds are used. Some famous musicians have suffered hearing loss and developed tinnitus — a real problem for someone who needs to hear to make and enjoy music. That's why now you might notice that some of your favorite musicians wear hearing protection while they're playing.

You too can help keep your hearing in tip-top shape. Protect yourears by wearing ear protection when you're using machinery, like in metal shop at school. Also remember to turn down the volume, especially when you're wearing headphones or ear buds or in the car. You also might want to give your ears a rest once in a while if you like wearing headphones.

And if you're going to a concert, consider wearing earplugs to protect your ears from the boom, boom, boom! In fact, special earplugs can be made for you if you're going to concerts a lot or if you're a musician yourself. Take these steps now and you won't be saying "What?" later on.

Is music your safe haven from the hellish traffic jams you travel through everyday? You might need to re-think this strategy. Drowning out incessant honking on our potholeridden roads with Comfortably Numb, might just be numbing your eardrums for life. Like Rajeev Khandelwal who loses his hearing in Soundtrack, thanks to his constant use of headphones as a DJ; the actor's on-screen nightmare can actually become your reality. 

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In today's world of iPods and phones that can play music, most people are plugged in constantly. Our expert Dr Nishit Shah, ENT consultant at Bombay Hospital tells you what you can do to avoid losing your sense of sound. 

Play it loud 

Listening to music at half the volume your player is obviously not damaging. It all depends on the volume and how long you are listening to it. Shah says, "There are guidelines laid down by World Health Organization as to what decibels are permissible. Most workplaces and music player manufacturers adhere to these guidelines. But constant exposure is still a problem." Cranking up the volume for longer periods of time is very dangerous, and can lead to partial deafness. The higher the volume gets the lesser amount of time the ear can take it. 

Uncomfortably numb 

Unlike people who go deaf during a bomb blast or hearing the sonic boom of a plane, deafness caused by headphones creeps on you and if not checked, the effects can be adverse. "I have seen people who show no obvious signs of deafness when they are young, can hardly hear anything when they reach their 60s." Studies show that this is common among people who go for a lot of concerts and clubs. Shah says, "Deafness caused due to listening to music does not happen overnight. The ear warns you before things can get really bad with tinnitus. 

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You get a ringing sound in your ear, which means hearing loss is imminent. When you exit a club, your ears feel relieved and you can't hear too well immediately. That's because your ears are adapting to the new environment." 

In fact, Shah says that moving from an extremely loud place (like a club) to an extremely quiet place can be more damaging than exposing yourself to higher decibels for longer. 

Right hear, right now 

Studies have shown that other than musicians and people in studios who want to listen to intricate sounds of a particular track, most people listen to music on headphones loudly to drown out background noise. The standard ear piece or even normal headphones are no good. Shah recommends using in-ear headsets or noise reduction/cancellation headphones that naturally drown out background noise. He says, "People who use these headsets have a tendency to listen to music at a lower volume anyway. So, if you want to listen to something throughout the day this would be the best way to avoid loss of hearing." 

The cure 

The scariest part about losing your hearing ability is that there is nothing you can do to regain it. The strongest preventive drug doctors prescribe is "common sense". Shah says, "Most people don't buy headphones because of quality, they buy it because it is loud enough. How do you tell people otherwise? You have to be aware of what is happening to your ears. As soon as you feel any discomfort, take a break. You cannot listen to music loudly for eight hours in a row. This will obviously affect your hearing." 

If you feel like you are losing your sense of hearing, head to an ENT immediately. In the first few days of being affected, your hearing can be repaired with the help of steroids, but very few people actually spot the impediment so soon. Then, of course, there are hearing aids. These are used when the damage is already done though, and you want to avoid that altogether. 

Just how much is too much? 

Research suggests that risk of permanent hearing loss goes up with just five minutes of exposure a day to music at full volume. Traffic noise is at about 70 to 80 decibels. If you're trying to drown this out, you will hit dangerous decibel levels. Listening to earbuds, or in-ear headphones, for 90 minutes a day at 80 percent volume is probably safe. However, different brands have different volumes and that needs to be factored into the decision to buy headsets. 

It’s an all too familiar sight these days – people, mostly youngsters, with earphones on, listening to music on their i-Pods or mobile phones. The constant exposure to high decibel sounds, however, may be doing more harm than good and can even lead progressively to hearing impairment, doctors warn. What’s more, it may be a few years until you realise the hearing loss since it grows over a period of time. ‘Listening to loud music over long durations on your i-Pod or mobile phone can lead to hearing loss. It is a serious issue because it’s progressive and it may be a few years before you realise the effect,’ Manuj Agarwal, senior audiologist with Amplifon India, a hearing aid company, told IANS.

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‘Moreover, people adapt to such kind of loss over a period of time; so you don’t realise immediately, until it becomes obvious,’ he added. Roughly seven percent of Indians suffer from some kind of hearing impairment. Priyanka Madhok, consultant in the audiology and speech therapy department of Max Super Speciality hospital in Delhi, explained the science behind this ‘rising trend’ of music-induced hearing loss. ‘In a normal conversation, we are exposed to 40-50 decibel sound, which has no harmful effect. However, if the sound level goes beyond 80 decibels for a constant period of even two-three hours, the hearing ability will drop,’ Madhok told IANS.

Added Agarwal: ‘If the magnitude of sound is high, then even a few hours of exposure is enough to cause you harm. Ninety decibels for four hours is risky and so is two hours of 100 decibel sound. In airports, the magnitude of sound is 120 decibels; so people working there have to wear ear protection devices.’ One of Madhok’s patients is a disc jockey and is regularly exposed to loud music for long hours. ‘He came to me with the complaint that he hears a buzzing sound in his ears in quiet surroundings. This buzz or ring in the ear is called Tinnitus. So I asked him to go for a hearing test, which came out normal. But when he went for an extended test, in high frequency, it was found that there was a drop in hearing, which meant that he had some loss,’ Madhok said.

‘Fortunately, it was a temporary hearing shift and I introduced him to therapy. After six months, his hearing has improved. Music is his livelihood; so now he is more careful,’ she added. Talking about the possibility of reversing hearing loss, Madhok said: ‘If a person is exposed to industry noise, high frequency sounds, for 30 years, then there is a possibility of nerve damage and that cannot be repaired.’ ‘But if a person is exposed to loud music, like a DJ, for say, 10 years, and goes for regular check-ups, and then complains of hearing loss, then that is something that can be managed. So it really depends on the extent of damage,’ she added.

Read more about causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment ofhearing loss.

While music-induced hearing loss is a major concern, industry workers, engineers, pilots, those who work in airports and DJs, among others, are exposed to threats of hearing impairment every day, thanks to their profession. ‘Therefore, earplugs in such professions are a must. But even then, I would advice such people, and others, to go for regular check-ups,’ Sameer Jain, an audiologist in Delhi, advised. Considering the initial dormant nature of the problem, doctors advise one to be on the lookout for warning signs of possible hearing impairment.

‘Do you have a ringing or buzzing sound in your ears in quiet surroundings and it disappears after some time? Do you have to concentrate hard to catch words in a conversation? In a meeting, or while with friends in a public place, do you find it hard to hear full sentences? Your replies could indicate if you need to see a doctor,’ Agarwal said. ‘And hearing impairment has nothing to do with age; so don’t hesitate to seek help if you feel the need,’ Jain added. So, the next time you turn up the volume of your i-Pod to blank out the surrounding noises, think again – you may be blanking out something much more vital.

All the warnings about the risks of listening to loud music may be falling on deaf ears.

Hearing loss in teenagers is about 30 percent higher now than it was in the 1980s and 1990s, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Assocation.

The study showed that one in five teens, about 6.5 million individuals, have some form of hearing loss.

The finding came as a surprise to researchers, according to Science News. They expected to see a drop in rates of hearing loss, thanks to widespread warnings about the risks posed by listening to loud music and to wider use of vaccines that prevent certain ear infections that can lead to hearing loss.

But the data - from almost 3,000 boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 19 - showed otherwise.

Hearing loss is more common among boys than girls, the study found. And teens from poor families are more likely to have hearing loss.

It's not clear whether listening to music with "earbud" type headphones increased the risk. Nor did the study point the finger at iPods or any other particular music-playing device.

But teens are listening to music twice as long as teens of previous generations and at higher volumes, Brian Fligor, an audiologist at Children's Hospital Boston, told the New York Daily News.

"Teenagers really underestimate how much noise they are exposed to, lead researcher Dr. Josef Shargorodsky, of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, told the Associated Press.

And they're paying the price for their heedlessness.

Study co-author Dr. Sharon Curhan, also of Brigham and Women's Hospital, said hearing loss can hamper learning, according to Science News. And kids who don't hear well can seem quirky or offbeat because they don't respond appropriately to "subtle peer to peer interactions."

"Our hope is that this study will raise awareness of hearing loss among adolescents because there are things they can do to limit the risk," she said.