Conductive & Sensorineural Hearing Loss

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 If the use of of personal listening devices are starting to have the effects of hearing loss in children it really is simple if not easy. The Solution: Lower the Volume, Swap Earbud Headphones for Noise Reduction OnesThe hardest part is being the volume police as soon as kids have themselves and their headphones awat from our ability to monitor zoom like a rocket up goes the . You must take time and effort to explain what risks they are taking with their precious auditory systems. Don’t way until you see the symptoms of hearing loss in children. Be preemptive in protecting them. Sensorineural hearing loss causes in children is a long list many can’t be protected against but this one can be so let’s do it.

Guest article writer today.

Kids have always loved listening to their favorite music, and the louder the better - much to their parents’ dismay. In the 1980s, the portable tape recorder with headphones - which came to be known as the "Walkman" - enabled teenagers to listen to their music as loud as they wanted, anywhere they wanted, without disturbing anyone around them.

But the more modern rendition of the Walkman - portable MP3 Players and iPods - pose a major threat to our children’s hearing health, and to ours. The threat is serious and the abuse of the aand the abuse of the audtitory system often gives us quick proof as we start to recognize the symptoms of hearing loss in children which we can often interpret as annoying ignoring of whart we say when it is in fact them not hearing what we say.
The problem is a combination of the technology of portable digital devices that creates a non-buffered crystal clear sound, and the type of headphones typically used with them, which do not have a buffer either. In December 2005, Dean Garstecki, an audiologist and professor at Northwestern University reported that more and more test subjects were being diagnosed with the types ofeffects of hearing loss in children that formerrly was typically found in older adults. He attributed this trend to the "earbud" type headphones that usually accompany iPod and MP3 Players.

With the earbud headphones, the sound frequencies are not buffered as they are with the more traditional, ear cup-style headsets. Newsweek Magazine recently reported that researchers at the House Ear Institute found that listeners can unfortunately increase the volume of today’s portable digital devices without the "signal distortion that occurs with traditional analog audio." The older-model headphones that were popular just 15 to 20 years ago - that have ear cups outside of the ears - had that distortion when the volume was turned up, which functioned as a much-needed buffer to protect our hearing. Today’s technology does not provide that buffer - the earpiece is placed in the ear, not outside of it, and the digital devices do not create that distortion, no matter how high the volume.

In addition, people often listen to these devices while they are on the go, and have a tendency to crank the volume in an attempt to drown outside noise, further posing a risk to our hearing. Using the earbud style headphones during activities such as exercise, for example, puts the user at a greater risk. During exercise, blood, which can act as a buffer, is diverted from the ears to other parts of the body - so our already vulnerable hearing is in even more jeopardy.

Headwize reports that a study conducted on music listeners using headphones revealed that while indoors with no background noise, the participants were comfortable with their music at 69 decibels. Outdoors, where the background noise was recorded at 65 decibels, participants using their headphones turned the volume up to 82 decibels and as high as 95 decibels to drown out the surrounding noise. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines limit exposure to noise at this level to no more than four hours each day. The study concluded that the participants were at risk for hearing damage and recommended "avoiding continuous use of [portable stereos] in noisy conditions." Sensorineural hearing loss causes in children not to neglected.

Northwestern University’s Dean Garstecki offers more specific guidelines: His 60 percent/60 minute rule - listen to MP3 Players and iPods for "about an hour a day and at levels below 60 percent of maximum volume." The problem is, most of the population using headphones - young music fans - listen to their music for much longer than one hour per day. But, you can help minimize hearing loss, damage and problems while listening to your favorite music as long as you want to - the secret is in the headphones. Wrong phones at wrong volume level and ther you have one of the major causes of hearing loss in children.

Headphones such as the EX29 Extreme Isolation Noise Reduction Headphones help block out external noise allowing you to hear the fine details of your music without blowing out your ear drums. The ear cup fits over the ear, and not in it, and the headphones are lightweight, don’t require batteries and can be used with your MP3 Player or iPod. With 29 decibels of isolation from outside sound, the quiet headphones block outside noise and there is no need to crank the volume of your music.

Aging rock stars like the Who’s Pete Townsend, who has some permanent hearing loss from years of exposure to loud music, and Mick Fleetwood, who has teamed up with Energizer batteries to promote hearing loss prevention, have brought public attention to the fact that many of us take our hearing for granted. But there’s no need to turn off your music - just be smarter about how you listen to it. If you are using your MP3 Player or iPod when you’re exercising, in a noisy environment or you just want to hear the fine details of your music, ditch the earbud headphones and reach for a set of noise reduction ones instead. And you’ll be enjoying your favorite music for a long time to come.

Lee Blue is a musician and home studio recording artist. He uses Noise Reduction Headphones in his recording studio and his office to block out noise and distractions. Learn more at http://www.quietheadphones.com/

Sci Tech Today on hearing loss causes in children

Sensorineural Hearing loss causes in children at hearinglossweb

One of the painless, odorless, tasteless and invisible diseases is loss of hearing. Even though it is painless, it affects the person mentally and psychologically. Loss of hearing is commonly divided in to three types - conductive hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss and mixed hearing loss. Each of the hearing types has its own degrees of loss. They are categorized as mild loss, moderate loss, severe loss and profound loss.

The prevention steps of hearing loss are different for the different ages of people. This article gives some tips to prevent loss of hearing in children, young adults and older people.

Prevention of Loss of Hearing in Children

First a precaution at the slightest indication or display of the symptoms of hearing loss in children they should see a physician.

Some of the causes of hearing loss of hearing in children are premature birth, the presence of a child in a neonatal intensive care unit, presence of high bilirubin during a blood transfusion, hereditary, complications at birth, and frequent ear infections. Nowadays, in the modern lifestyle community, more babies are born with hearing problems. It is difficult even for the mother to discover if their baby has ear problems. Untreated ear problems may even lead to life-long deafness. So it is very important for babies to have an ear screening test at birth. Most of the ear problems start at the age of three for children, hence regular ear checkups and screening tests are very important.

Generally, screening tests are done to almost all the new born in hospital. Screening test detects the complications in its initial stage thereby making the treatment easier and successful.

Since the hearing problems can occur at any age, children should be given a constant monitoring of their hearing capacity. Usually, babies start playing with their own voice and imitate simple words. If this action is absent or minimal, then it should be considered serious. Thus to summarize, constant monitoring on the children’s hearing capacity is the main preventative step taken to avoid unnecessary causes of hearing loss in children. There is the added difficulty in recognizing the symptoms of hearing loss in children as they can not communicate this to you until they are several years of age. Therefore it is paramount the parents of very young children are particularly aware. 

Prevention of Loss of Hearing in the Young Adult

Many young adults are affected by noise-induced hearing loss. This problem is mainly due to the loud, unwanted and hazardous sound. Young adults should be aware of the different causes of noise. Naturally there may be many times when noise can not be avoided but learning to protect one’s ears is the best prevention. Wearing ear protection like earplugs or earmuffs, covering the ears with hands, staying away from the source of noise over which one has no control, and enjoying music with less volume are some of the preventative steps to avoid hearing loss. These steps are mandatory for youth, if they want to lessen the risk of hearing loss as they grow older.

Immunizations for measles and other diseases can also be a cause for hearing problems in later periods of life.

Prevention of Loss of Hearing in Older People

Presbycusis and tinnitus are the common hearing problems found in older people. People who are not able to hear conversations or loud sounds are likely to have Presbycusis caused by changes in their inner ear as they grow older. Taking too much aspirin or certain antibiotics are the main cause of tinnitus in the later years. Be aware of the medicines and their side-effects before taking them. People with nervous problems are also likely to have tinnitus. Once the nervous problem is detected, make sure you have regular ear checkups, so that it can be controlled or treated in its initial stages.

By: Mike Jennings

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