September 2008 (PDF) - Antigravity Magazine

COLUMNMEDICINE
DR. FEELGOOD
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?
by nancy kang nancy@antigravitymagazine.com
Dr. Nancy Kang Joins ANTIGRAVITY this month as its resident medical
expert. Feel free to write Dr. Kang at the email address below with any
medical questions, and go see her band, Glorybee, September 20th at the
Circle Bar with the Broken Smokes.
There I was, right in
the very front of One
Eyed Jacks and next
to a ten-foot speaker at the
Melvins concert. The show
was great and I nearly suffered
traumatic brain injury from
myriad flailing steel-toed boots.
Afterwards, out on the street,
the silence would have been
deafening had it not been for
the horrid ringing in my ears,
which lasted for three days. But
I’m all right now. Or am I? I am
sure you have left a concert with ringing ears, or maybe with temporary hearing
loss. One of the thrills of going to a show (or playing one) is the feel of megaamps
turned way up to eleven. But is there a permanent cost? More and more
younger people are being diagnosed with noise-induced hearing loss. Modern
day noise exposure is unrelenting: concerts, cell phones, movies and ear buds
hooked to iPods continuously blaring the soundtrack to our lives, for example.
Noise-induced hearing loss lasts forever and can be devastating, especially to the
professional musician or music aficionado. Hearing aids can help, but the best
medicine is prevention.
The loudness of the sound (called intensity and measured in decibels) and the
length of time exposed to it are two important factors. Noise-induced hearing loss
is also cumulative over time. It’s like walking on a grass lawn: you may step on
it and see some temporary footprints, but soon they go away, but tread roughly
on the grass over many years and it will not grow there anymore. Exposure to
loud sounds for lengthy periods of time can injure delicate cells of the inner ear
in a similar fashion. Preventing damage to the inner ear, our organ of hearing, is
the key. Short-term exposures of sound levels above 100 decibels (dB) can cause
hearing loss. To put this in perspective, normal conversation is around 55 dB, a
whisper 15 dB, and a lawnmower 90 dB. Sound levels at concerts can range from
120 to 140 dB. iPod ear buds are especially worrisome for hearing damage, as
they go directly in to the ear canal and are used by many people for long periods
of time. iPods and other portable music players can reach sound levels of 130 dB,
which can cause damage after only thirty minutes.
Do you already have some hearing loss? If you are a musician or go to lots
of shows, the answer might be “yes.” Early signs of noise-induced hearing loss
include the following: having trouble understanding what people say, especially
in crowded places like restaurants; having to ask people to repeat themselves;
inability to hear high pitched sounds like the telephone ringing, and ringing in the
ears, called “tinnitus.”
Perhaps you’ve tried cheapo earplugs from the drug store at a concert, just to
end up taking them out. If you are hardcore about maintaining the fidelity of the
music, you can have custom-made musician earplugs for around $175. Musician
plugs are custom-made for your ear canals by a hearing specialist (usually an
Audiologist). An ear impression material (usually silicone) is injected into your ear
canal and the result is sent to a lab, where an ear mold is made with a custom filter
that reduces the sound. These molds are special because they are so comfortable,
as they’re custom made for you, but also because they provide a fidelity that no
other hearing protection can offer. Foamy earplugs or headsets reduce the sounds
of the high frequencies more than the low frequencies, but musician plugs reduce
all sounds uniformly. For more information on custom musician earplugs or for a
hearing evaluation, contact an audiologist or your doctor.
So see you at the Maple Leaf but bring your own (EAR) protection!
This column serves the public health interest of New Orleans’ music
community and is not meant as medical advice. For medical treatment or
counseling, seek care from a medical professional.
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