Hey everyone, as a Musician and DJ that has been exposed to loud music often throughout my life, and has had many nights of walking into a DJ booth where they have the monitors blasting in my ears, or plugged in my headphones to a mixer where the DJ before me had the volume turned all the way up, I think it’s very important to bring awareness of this subject since we don’t really hear much about it (No Pun Intended). Lately, I’ve been researching this and feel like I wish I wouldve known more about it sooner. Anyway, hope this makes you think twice next time you decide to go and stand in front of a speaker at a concert.
J-ME
Tinnitus Awareness
Tinnitus (pronounced either ti-NIGHT-us or TIN-i-tus – both pronunciations are correct) is defined as the perception of sound where no external source is present – commonly referred to as “ringing in the ears.” Those affected often describe tinnitus as ringing, hissing, roaring, crickets, buzzing, pulsing or whooshing, even music perceived in one or both ears;
Nearly 50 million Americans experience tinnitus;
10-12 million have tinnitus chronically and seek medical attention for their condition;
1-2 million Americans are debilitated by their tinnitus – cognitive abilities are compromised and quality of life is ruthlessly reduced from their tinnitus;
Between all public and private funding in the United States, a mere $4 million exists for tinnitus research;
Tinnitus is the number one service-connected disability for returning personnel from Iraq and Afghanistan,
In 2001, The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that nearly 13% of children between the ages of 6-19 have some form of noise-induced hearing loss which can cause and/or lead to tinnitus;
In 2007, a study of 900 musicians found that at least 60% report occasional tinnitus;
Tinnitus is most commonly caused by noise exposure – According to the National Institutes on Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), maximum allowable noise exposure is 85 dBA for eight hours and at that level, seven to eight people will sustain hearing damage;
30 million workers are at risk for tinnitus and noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) from hazardous noise on the job;
Under-employment and unemployment due to noise-induced hearing loss costs $2.5 billion a year with an additional $2 billion per year in welfare and disability programs;
Industry experts recommend that for every 3 decibel increase above 85dBA a person should cut their time exposure in half. For example, if 85 dBA is “safe” for eight hours, then 88 dBA is “safe” for only four hours;
Even though there are recommended maximum allowable exposure times, cumulative noise exposure even at “safe” levels can cause tinnitus over years. We are living in the age of amplified sound where many every day noise sources produce decibel levels that can be hazardous to our hearing and can result in tinnitus and other types of hearing loss. Here are some examples of every day noise sources and their respective decibel levels.
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