January 18, 2006 – Frequent exposure to loud noise and loud music is said to increase the risk of suffering from tinnitus and hearing loss.
Epidemiologists from the School of Public Health at Ohio University in the United States and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden just released study results1 involving 146 patients with acoustic neuroma and 564 controls who did not suffer from this condition. Acoustic neuroma is a benign (non-cancerous) tumor of the auditory nerve. It usually causes tinnitus and hearing loss.
The risk of suffering from an acoustic neuroma would be multiplied by frequent exposure to loud noises. For the purpose of their study, the researchers defined loud noise as sound reaching 80 decibels (dB) and higher, like the usual noise produced by automobile traffic in a large city.
Note that a refrigerator motor produces about 40 dB, the voice of a human speaking normally is about 60 dB, the noise of power tools varies from 85 dB to 113 dB, that of a lawn mower reaches 90 dB and music in a bar plays in the 90 dB to 110 dB range.
According to the results of the study, exposure to noise produced by machines or power tools would increase the risk of suffering from an auditory nerve tumor by a factor of 1.8, while exposure to loud music would double that. risk (2.25).
Hearing loud noises on a regular basis over a period of 5 years would increase the risk of contracting an acoustic neuroma by 1.5 and by 2.12 over a period of 13 years.
The study authors also report that people who used earplugs, earmuffs or foam earplugs to protect their ears were at no greater risk than those who were not exposed to loud noise. It can therefore be concluded that it is possible to prevent tinnitus and hearing loss by covering your ears and lowering the volume of the stereo system.
Pierre Lefrançois – PasseportSanté.net
According to HealthDay News and Ohio State University News.
1. Edwards CG, Schwartzbaum JA, Lonn S, et al. Exposure to Loud Noise and Risk of Acoustic Neuroma, Am J Epidemiol, 2005 Dec 15.
