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May 26th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda FRIDAY, May 25 (HealthDay News) — Exposure to loud music at a rock
concert often results in temporary hearing loss for teenagers, researchers
say.
A small study by the House Research Institute revealed that 72 percent
of teens reported reduced hearing after attending a three-hour show. This
type of hearing loss typically disappears within 48 hours, but if it
occurs repeatedly, permanent hearing loss can develop, the study authors
noted.
“Teenagers need to understand a single exposure to loud noise either
from a concert or personal listening device can lead to hearing loss,”
study lead author Dr. M. Jennifer Derebery, physician at the House Clinic,
said in an institute news release. “With multiple exposures to noise over
85 decibels, the tiny hair cells may stop functioning and the hearing loss
may be permanent.”
For the study, researchers offered 29 teenagers free tickets to a rock
concert. All of the seats were about 15 to 18 rows away from the
stage.
Beforehand, the kids were told how they could protect their hearing and
were encouraged to use foam ear plugs during the performance. Only three
chose to use them, the study authors noted.
Using a calibrated sound pressure meter, researchers seated with the
teens found that sound decibel levels (dBA) ranged from 82 to 110 dBA and
averaged 98.5 dBA. The average was greater than 100 dBA for 10 of the 26
songs played.
Derebery and colleagues noted that these levels exceeded the workplace
safety standards of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, which sets time limits on exposure to sound levels of 85
dB or greater.
Following the concert, most of the teens had a significant reduction in
the Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions test, which checks the
function of cells in the inner ear. These cells are critical to normal
hearing and most vulnerable to damage from prolonged noise exposure.
Specifically, 53.6 percent of the teens said they were not hearing as
well as they did before the concert, and 25 percent reported tinnitus,
which is ringing in the ears.
Although these cells usually recover, the researchers cautioned that
repeated exposure to loud noise could permanently damage hearing.
The authors said more research is needed to determine if teenage ears
are more sensitive than adult ears. Guidelines for noise exposure among
teenagers may need to be updated, they added.
“It also means we definitely need to be doing more to ensure the sound
levels at concerts are not so loud as to cause hearing loss and
neurological damage in teenagers, as well as adults,” said Derebery. “Only
three of our 29 teens chose to use ear protection, even when it was given
to them and they were encouraged to do so. We have to assume this is
typical behavior for most teen listeners, so we have the responsibility to
get the sound levels down to safer levels.”
The researchers pointed out that teenagers should take advantage of
sound meter “apps” available for smartphones, which provide an estimate of
surrounding noise level, and use ear protection when appropriate.
The study, recently presented at an American Otologic Society meeting,
will be published in a future issue of Otology
Neurotology.
More information
The U.S. National Institute on Deafness and
Other Communication Disorders has more about noise-induced hearing loss.
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