2008 Woodie Awards
'Sound advise' for hearing loss in young adults
Adam Coulter, Collegian Staff
Issue date: 5/12/08 Section: News
Formerly when the topic of hearing loss came up, the immediate image evoked would be that of an aging adult. However, loud concerts and cranked-up headphones are now changing this preconceived notion and negatively contributing to music-induced hearing loss in children and teens.
On Friday, the University of Massachusetts Amherst Communication Disorders Department sponsored "Sound Advice," a program promoting awareness of the risks of music-induced hearing loss. Those who attended had the opportunity to get their hearing tested, find out how the typical volume of their iPod was affecting their hearing future, as well as learn new ways to protect their hearing.
A few young men and women were milling around outside of the Center for Language, Speech and Hearing on North Pleasant St. while waiting for their appointment with the clinician.
"I'm not too worried about what they're going to tell me; I don't listen to my headphones really loudly," said Amherst resident Maria Fillio.
The volume at which most people typically listen to music, whether it is through headphones or live at a concert, kills the hair cells in their ears, ultimately causing hearing loss. This noise-induced hearing problem is starting to gain attention through such programs as "Sound Advice," the new software which was introduced and integrated into such popular music devices as the iPod.
In 2006, Apple, the makers of the iPod, unveiled a free software update that gives users the ability to set maximum volume limits on their devices.
"This can help to guide people to use their iPods in a responsible manner that may prevent permanent hearing loss," said President Gail Whitelaw PhD, on the American Academy of Audiology Web site.
Besides the overall volume of the music, the amount of time one spends listening plays a role in increased susceptibility to hearing loss. According to a 2004 study by Brian Fligor of the Children's Hospital and L. Clarke Cox of Boston University Medical Center, the cut-off amount of time for listening can be determined using the Time-Weighted Average (TWA). The TWA is the combination of the level and the duration of exposure. Another way to describe the maximum allowable TWA is "noise dose," with a 100 percent noise dose representing the highest permissible exposure.
On Friday, the University of Massachusetts Amherst Communication Disorders Department sponsored "Sound Advice," a program promoting awareness of the risks of music-induced hearing loss. Those who attended had the opportunity to get their hearing tested, find out how the typical volume of their iPod was affecting their hearing future, as well as learn new ways to protect their hearing.
A few young men and women were milling around outside of the Center for Language, Speech and Hearing on North Pleasant St. while waiting for their appointment with the clinician.
"I'm not too worried about what they're going to tell me; I don't listen to my headphones really loudly," said Amherst resident Maria Fillio.
The volume at which most people typically listen to music, whether it is through headphones or live at a concert, kills the hair cells in their ears, ultimately causing hearing loss. This noise-induced hearing problem is starting to gain attention through such programs as "Sound Advice," the new software which was introduced and integrated into such popular music devices as the iPod.
In 2006, Apple, the makers of the iPod, unveiled a free software update that gives users the ability to set maximum volume limits on their devices.
"This can help to guide people to use their iPods in a responsible manner that may prevent permanent hearing loss," said President Gail Whitelaw PhD, on the American Academy of Audiology Web site.
Besides the overall volume of the music, the amount of time one spends listening plays a role in increased susceptibility to hearing loss. According to a 2004 study by Brian Fligor of the Children's Hospital and L. Clarke Cox of Boston University Medical Center, the cut-off amount of time for listening can be determined using the Time-Weighted Average (TWA). The TWA is the combination of the level and the duration of exposure. Another way to describe the maximum allowable TWA is "noise dose," with a 100 percent noise dose representing the highest permissible exposure.
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