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Rock concerts may put teens' hearing at risk;
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% 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 ."

How the study was done

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 metre, 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 US 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% of the teens said they were not hearing as well as they did before the concert, and 25% 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.

More research needed

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 behaviour 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.
http://www.betterhearing.org/press/news/Rock_concerts_put_youth_at_risk_for_hearing_loss_pr05312012.cfm

BHI: Press - Rock concerts may put teens' hearing at risk Not-for-profit organization with the mission of educating the public and medical profession on hearing loss, its treatment and prevention.

Johns Hopkins: Hearing Loss Triples Risk for Falling in Middle Aged-adults and Elderly

Baltimore — A new study led by a Johns Hopkins researcher suggests that having hearing loss triples the risk of falling down for people in their 40s and later. The findings are regardless of whether the hearing loss is moderate or severe.

The finding could help researchers develop new ways to prevent falls, especially in the elderly, and their resulting injuries that generate billions in health care costs in the United States each year, by some estimates.

To determine whether hearing loss and falling are connected, Frank Lin, MD, PhD, at Johns Hopkins, and his colleague Luigi Ferrucci, MD, PhD, of the National Institute on Aging, used data from the 2001 to 2004 cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

During those years, 2,017 participants ages 40 to 69 had their hearing tested and answered questions about whether they had fallen over the past year. Researchers also collected demographic information, including age, s*x, and race, and tested participants’ vestibular function.

Lin, an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the university’s Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Ferrucci found that people with mild (25 dB) hearing loss were nearly three times more likely to have a history of falling.

Every additional 10 dB of hearing loss increased the chances of falling by 1.4 fold. This finding still held true, even when researchers accounted for other factors linked with falling, including age, s*x, race, cardiovascular disease, and vestibular function. Even excluding participants with moderate to severe hearing loss from the analysis didn’t change the results.

Lin, an otologist and epidemiologist, says among the possible explanations for the link is that people who can’t hear well might not have good awareness of their overall environment, making tripping and falling more likely.

Another reason hearing loss might increase the risk of falls, Lin adds, is cognitive load, in which the brain is overwhelmed with demands on its limited resources.

“Gait and balance are things most people take for granted, but they are actually very cognitively demanding,” Lin says. “If hearing loss imposes a cognitive load, there may be fewer cognitive resources to help with maintaining balance and gait.”

Johns Hopkins: Hearing Loss Triples Risk for Falling in Middle Aged-adults and Elderly | March 1, 20 Baltimore — A new study led by a Johns Hopkins researcher suggests that having hearing loss triples the risk of falling down for people in their 40s and later. The findings are regardless of whether the hearing loss is moderate or severe.

"For workers, noise induced hearing loss is the most common occupational disease and the second most self-reported occupational injury. Studies estimate a 50-70% reduction of income received for workers with untreated hearing loss as compared to that received by their non-hearing impaired peers." -Hearing Loss Association of America. 10 Sept. 2007.

Link between Depression and Untreated Hearing Loss Highlighted by BHI during Mental Illness Awareness Week

Washington, DC, September 13, 2011 — The Better Hearing Institute (BHI) announced today that in recognition of Mental Illness Awareness Week (October 2-8); National Depression Screening Day (October 6); and World Mental Health Day (October 10), it is educating the public on the link between hearing loss and depression.

A growing body of research indicates that people with untreated hearing loss may be at an increased risk of depression. Studies also show that when these individuals use hearing aids, they experience significant improvements in quality of life and decreased depressive symptoms; have significantly higher self-concepts compared to individuals with hearing loss who do not wear hearing aids; and experience significant improvement in their functional health status.

“When left unaddressed, hearing loss can lead to isolation and other emotional conditions that can affect both qualify of life and mental health,” says Sergei Kochkin, PhD, BHI’s Executive Director. “BHI therefore is encouraging people to take a free, quick, and confidential online hearing test at www.hearingcheck.org to determine if they need a comprehensive hearing check by a hearing professional.”

Depression is a serious, common, and complex illness that affects an estimated 121 million people worldwide, according to the World Federation for Mental Health. In the United States alone, major depression affects 15 million American adults, or approximately 5 to 8 percent of the adult population in a given year, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports. What’s more, depression frequently co-occurs with a variety of other physical illnesses.

The link between unaddressed hearing loss and depression is compelling. For example, a large-scale study by the National Council on Aging (NCOA) found that people 50 and older with untreated hearing loss were more likely to report depression, anxiety, anger and frustration, emotional instability and paranoia, and were less likely to participate in organized social activities than those who wore hearing aids. The degree of depression and other emotional or mental health issues also increased with the severity of hearing loss.

An Italian study, published in Acta Otorhinolaryngologica Italica, involved working adults aged 35 to 55 who were affected by mild to moderate hearing loss in both ears. In this study, those with hearing loss reported higher levels of disability and psychological distress—and lower levels of social functioning—than a well-matched normal control population. The hearing-impaired individuals experienced reduced ordinary social activities, increased relational problems with family and friends, and greater emotional difficulties at work. They also showed higher levels of anxiety, depression, phobic anxiety, interpersonal sensitivity, and hostility.

Another survey, released by Australian Hearing, also found that people who suffer from hearing loss may be at increased risk of developing the debilitating effects of depression. The survey found that 60 per cent of those with hearing loss had displayed symptoms associated with depression. And almost 20 per cent demonstrated at least three key symptoms of depression. Specifically, 52 per cent had displayed increased irritability and frustration; 22 per cent had trouble sleeping or experienced restlessness; and 18 per cent showed a loss of interest or pleasure in most activities.

The good news is that research also indicates that hearing aids can help. A study published in the Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics examined the effects of hearing aids on cognitive function and depressive signs in people 65 and older. Researchers found that after three months of using a hearing aid, all patients showed significant improvement in their psychosocial and cognitive conditions.

BHI: Hearing Loss - Online Hearing Test from BetterHearing.org Not-for-profit organization with the mission of educating the public and medical profession on hearing loss, its treatment and prevention.