Re: [AUDITORY] How to speak to people about hearing loss and high sound pressure levels (Jon Boley )


Subject: Re: [AUDITORY] How to speak to people about hearing loss and high sound pressure levels
From:    Jon Boley  <jdboley@xxxxxxxx>
Date:    Sun, 13 Oct 2013 18:43:13 -0500
List-Archive:<http://lists.mcgill.ca/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=AUDITORY>

--001a11c3850034127204e8a7ea23 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 A couple days ago, there was a symposium on this topic, hosted by Northwestern University ( http://comm.soc.northwestern.edu/knowles-hearing-center/symposium-2013/). Benj Kanters talked about a workshop that he teaches, mostly to students in music and audio engineering. (http://www.heartomorrow.org/) He also argued for a grassroots approach, in which people lead by example (wear hearing protection yourself) and even bring cheap protection to give away to others. For example, here are some for $0.10 per pair: http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Uncorded-Earplugs-Value-390-1000/dp/B0006GWRY0/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hpc_2 I often take a few packs of these with me to events (I usually keep some in my car, suitcase, etc) and offer them to friends/family. Of course, people who really appreciate music may want something that preserves the fidelity as much as possible. For those people, there are earplugs designed to have a relatively flat frequency response. They are often called "musician's earplugs" or "hi-fidelity earplugs" and often start around $10-12 (USD). Mead Killion pointed out that Etymotic has a program where you can donate several of these to your local school's band program. http://www.etymotic.com/adoptaband/about.html As for leading by example, Benj showed a great picture from a few years ago, in which Drew Brees had his young son wearing hearing protection at the Super Bowl. http://healthyliving.blog.ocregister.com/files/2010/04/Brees_Blog.jpg By the way, Charlie Liberman has some convincing evidence that "temporary" hearing loss often cause neural damage in the cochlea (which does not appear to recover). This neural damage may not be detected with an audiogram, but would probably make it more difficult to hear in noisy (cocktail party) environments. http://comm.soc.northwestern.edu/knowles-hearing-center/files/2013/07/The_Biology_of_Noise_Liberman_Abstrect.pdf On Sun, Oct 13, 2013 at 12:09 AM, Kevin Austin <kevin.austin@xxxxxxxx>wrote: > An on-going topic -- very high level [dB] sounds, hearing loss, personal > and societal responsibility. > > Once or twice a year I am invited and go to an event where the sustained > sound pressure [dB] levels will be in excess of 95dB, and often into the > 105 - 110+ dB range. I am usually long gone before the levels have drifted > up to this point, however they usually start in the 85-90dB range. I use a > combination of Vaseline [petroleum jelly], and water- [spit-] soaked paper > tissues / Kleenex, to seal my ear canals. At the last two events I left, > about 20% of the people were babies or children under 7-9. They were > brought close to the speaker stacks, and the younger children enjoyed > playing in front of the speakers. > > My question is not one about NIHL etc, which is documented, but rather one > of how to speak to the people responsible, before and/or after the event > about the damage that is being caused by these environments. If this were a > work place, there would be laws, rules, regulations and ways of changing > the behavior. In these social environments, rules and regulations don't > apply. And I'm talking 3 or more hours of continuous 105+dB. > > There are currently two students in our university electroacoustic studies > program who have reported their hearing condition to me in some detail, > along with audiograms, and possible hyperacusis. Discussing this with many > younger people tends towards the "teenage invincibility syndrome" [will > never happen to me], and in older people, there is a general ignorance or > lack of understanding, often paired with an attitude that indicates, "if it > really is a problem, there would be laws about it". There are. But, in my > experience, there is a fundamental ignorance of what happens, and what has > been happening for the past 35 - 40 years. > > As the professionals in the field, what can be done? and how can it be > done? Is it a matter of this "silent plague", simply eating up the hearing > of those who are under 40 such that they will not be able to hear in 15 - > 25 years. > > Recently, this appeared: > > Thu, 09/12/2013 > >> Blake Wilson, Graeme Clark, and Ingeborg Hochmair were awarded the > Lasker Award this week for their contributions to the development of the > cochlear implant. The Lasker Award is essentially the American Nobel prize, > and this is an incredible recognition of not only the importance of > cochlear implant technology but also a much broader acknowledgment of the > importance of hearing and communication by the entire scientific community. > There will be several events over the next few months building on this > recognition with interviews with the Lasker awardees, a dedicated one-hour > show on PBS with Charlie Rose and Eric Kandel on hearing, and finally a > two-day workshop sponsored by the Institute of Medicine on hearing loss in > older adults in January. > > It is noted that this seems to be mostly about cochlea-based hearing loss > in older adults. > > > Other items on stem cell research growing back hair cells have been seen > in the media. However, these reports do not address a major cause of the > problem, exposure to high dB levels. As I understand it, this developing > technology may have little effect on tinnitus caused by nerve damage. > > Are there ways to have the media take cognizance of and report on the > dangerous environments which persist? > > As professionals, is there any individual or group responsibility > regarding making this better known and the [likely] consequences more > clearly understood? Is this like the cigarette situation where the 'evil' > is not only socially acceptable, but expected so that the event has 'street > cred'? Club owners and Rave organizers want blood-letting levels, "because > the customers want it". > > > Kevin > --001a11c3850034127204e8a7ea23 Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr">A couple days ago, there was a symposium on this topic, ho= sted by Northwestern University (<a href=3D"http://comm.soc.northwestern.ed= u/knowles-hearing-center/symposium-2013/">http://comm.soc.northwestern.edu/= knowles-hearing-center/symposium-2013/</a>).<div> Benj Kanters talked about a workshop that he teaches, mostly to students in= music and audio engineering. (<a href=3D"http://www.heartomorrow.org/">htt= p://www.heartomorrow.org/</a>)</div><div>He also argued for a grassroots ap= proach, in which people lead by example (wear hearing protection yourself) = and even bring cheap protection to give away to others.</div> <div><br></div><div><div class=3D"gmail_extra">For example, here are some f= or $0.10 per pair:=A0<a href=3D"http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Uncorded-Earp= lugs-Value-390-1000/dp/B0006GWRY0/ref=3Dpd_sim_sbs_hpc_2">http://www.amazon= .com/Classic-Uncorded-Earplugs-Value-390-1000/dp/B0006GWRY0/ref=3Dpd_sim_sb= s_hpc_2</a></div> <div class=3D"gmail_extra">I often take a few packs of these with me to eve= nts (I usually keep some in my car, suitcase, etc) and offer them to friend= s/family.</div><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><br></div><div class=3D"gmail_ext= ra"> Of course, people who really appreciate music may want something that prese= rves the fidelity as much as possible. =A0For those people, there are earpl= ugs designed to have a relatively flat frequency response. =A0They are ofte= n called &quot;musician&#39;s earplugs&quot; or &quot;hi-fidelity earplugs&= quot; and often start around $10-12 (USD).</div> <div class=3D"gmail_extra">Mead Killion pointed out that Etymotic has a pro= gram where you can donate several of these to your local school&#39;s band = program.</div><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><a href=3D"http://www.etymotic.com= /adoptaband/about.html">http://www.etymotic.com/adoptaband/about.html</a><b= r> </div><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><br clear=3D"all"><div>As for leading by e= xample, Benj showed a great picture from a few years ago, in which Drew Bre= es had his young son wearing hearing protection at the Super Bowl. =A0<a hr= ef=3D"http://healthyliving.blog.ocregister.com/files/2010/04/Brees_Blog.jpg= ">http://healthyliving.blog.ocregister.com/files/2010/04/Brees_Blog.jpg</a>= <br> <br></div> <div class=3D"gmail_extra">By the way, Charlie Liberman has some convincing= evidence that &quot;temporary&quot; hearing loss often cause neural damage= in the cochlea (which does not appear to recover). =A0This neural damage m= ay not be detected with an audiogram, but would probably make it more diffi= cult to hear in noisy (cocktail party) environments.</div> <div class=3D"gmail_extra"><a href=3D"http://comm.soc.northwestern.edu/know= les-hearing-center/files/2013/07/The_Biology_of_Noise_Liberman_Abstrect.pdf= ">http://comm.soc.northwestern.edu/knowles-hearing-center/files/2013/07/The= _Biology_of_Noise_Liberman_Abstrect.pdf</a><br> </div><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><br></div><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><br><= /div><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><br></div><br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote= ">On Sun, Oct 13, 2013 at 12:09 AM, Kevin Austin <span dir=3D"ltr">&lt;<a h= ref=3D"mailto:kevin.austin@xxxxxxxx" target=3D"_blank">kevin.austin@xxxxxxxx= eotron.ca</a>&gt;</span> wrote:<br> <blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-= left-width:1px;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-style:solid;p= adding-left:1ex">An on-going topic -- very high level [dB] sounds, hearing = loss, personal and societal responsibility.<br> <br> Once or twice a year I am invited and go to an event where the sustained so= und pressure [dB] levels will be in excess of 95dB, and often into the 105 = - 110+ dB range. I am usually long gone before the levels have drifted up t= o this point, however they usually start in the 85-90dB range. I use a comb= ination of Vaseline [petroleum jelly], and water- [spit-] soaked paper tiss= ues / Kleenex, to seal my ear canals. At the last two events I left, about = 20% of the people were babies or children under 7-9. They were brought clos= e to the speaker stacks, and the younger children enjoyed playing in front = of the speakers.<br> <br> My question is not one about NIHL etc, which is documented, but rather one = of how to speak to the people responsible, before and/or after the event ab= out the damage that is being caused by these environments. If this were a w= ork place, there would be laws, rules, regulations and ways of changing the= behavior. In these social environments, rules and regulations don&#39;t ap= ply. And I&#39;m talking 3 or more hours of continuous 105+dB.<br> <br> There are currently two students in our university electroacoustic studies = program who have reported their hearing condition to me in some detail, alo= ng with audiograms, and possible hyperacusis. Discussing this with many you= nger people tends towards the &quot;teenage invincibility syndrome&quot; [w= ill never happen to me], and in older people, there is a general ignorance = or lack of understanding, often paired with an attitude that indicates, &qu= ot;if it really is a problem, there would be laws about it&quot;. There are= . But, in my experience, there is a fundamental ignorance of what happens, = and what has been happening for the past 35 - 40 years.<br> <br> As the professionals in the field, what can be done? and how can it be done= ? Is it a matter of this &quot;silent plague&quot;, simply eating up the he= aring of those who are under 40 such that they will not be able to hear in = 15 - 25 years.<br> <br> Recently, this appeared:<br> <br> Thu, 09/12/2013<br> &gt;&gt; Blake Wilson, Graeme Clark, and Ingeborg Hochmair were awarded the= Lasker Award this week for their contributions to the development of the c= ochlear implant. The Lasker Award is essentially the American Nobel prize, = and =A0this is an incredible recognition of not only the importance of coch= lear implant technology but also a much broader acknowledgment of the impor= tance of hearing and communication by the entire scientific community. Ther= e will be several events over the next few months building on this recognit= ion with interviews with the Lasker awardees, a dedicated one-hour show on = PBS with Charlie Rose and Eric Kandel on hearing, and finally a two-day wor= kshop sponsored by the Institute of Medicine on hearing loss in older adult= s in January.<br> <br> It is noted that this seems to be mostly about cochlea-based hearing loss i= n older adults.<br> <br> <br> Other items on stem cell research growing back hair cells have been seen in= the media. However, these reports do not address a major cause of the prob= lem, exposure to high dB levels. As I understand it, this developing techno= logy may have little effect on tinnitus caused by nerve damage.<br> <br> Are there ways to have the media take cognizance of and report on the dange= rous environments which persist?<br> <br> As professionals, is there any individual or group responsibility regarding= making this better known and the [likely] consequences more clearly unders= tood? Is this like the cigarette situation where the &#39;evil&#39; is not = only socially acceptable, but expected so that the event has &#39;street cr= ed&#39;? Club owners and Rave organizers want blood-letting levels, &quot;b= ecause the customers want it&quot;.<br> <span class=3D""><font color=3D"#888888"><br> <br> Kevin<br> </font></span></blockquote></div><br></div></div></div> --001a11c3850034127204e8a7ea23--


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