Hearing Loss Concern - (AMEX: EAR)

Today I learned that May is Better Hearing Month, unfortunately peoples hearing doesn’t look like it’s going to get any better with our current habits and lack of education. Americans are continuing to needlessly risk losing their hearing each day, warns audiologist Dr. Cindy Beyer.

According to Dr. Beyer, senior vice president of HearUSA (AMEX: EAR), "Almost all hearing loss is due to the aging process or to noise, but only noise-induced hearing loss can be prevented."

Ten million Americans have already suffered irreversible hearing damage from noise and another 30 million are exposed to dangerous levels of noise each day.

The unit used to measure sound is a decibel: While a whisper may be 30 decibels, and normal conversation 60 decibels, a hair dryer may be 90 decibels and a leaf blower 110 decibels. An increase of 10 on the decibel scale means the sound is ten times more powerful.

Dr. Beyer cautions that, over time, prolonged unprotected exposure to noise levels above 85 decibels can cause permanent hearing loss by damaging the sensitive cells in the inner ear that convert sound energy into electrical signals that travel to the brain.

Here are a few interesting facts I did not know. The Sight and Hearing Association estimates that unprotected hearing can be damaged in;

1. 7.5 minutes at a rock concert (120 decibels),
2. 4 hours on a motorcycle or when using a power saw (95 decibels),
3. 15 minutes at a stadium football game (115 decibels)
4. 8 hours in truck traffic (90 decibels).

"Today's hearing aids are smarter, smaller and more comfortable than ever and, with proper professional hearing care support, they can benefit 95 percent of all those with hearing loss. However, there is no substitute for prevention, and noise-induced hearing loss is 100 percent preventable," says Dr. Beyer.

In the age of IPods and cell phones I think we can all learn a little something from this, our ears are essential instruments and many of us are harming them without realizing how serious the long term effects are. Being a 20 year old I can say my generation is going to have serious hearing problems as we get older if we do not change our habits.