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Home › Publications › Podcast
Podcast 14: Protecting The Hearing Of The
Young
Transcript
ANNOUNCER: Welcome to the American Speech Language Hearing Association's Podcast
Series highlighting issues in the field of human communication.
JOE CERQUONE: Our guest today is Dr. James F. Battey Jr. Dr. Battey is Director of the
National Institute on Deafness and other communication disorders which goes by the acronym
NIDCD. It is one of the national institutes of health. Dr. Battey welcome.
DR. JAMES F. BATTEY JR.: It's a pleasure to be with you this morning.
JOE CERQUONE: NIDCD and the American Speech Language Hearing Association or ASHA
are both concerned about noise induced hearing loss. In fact, they're collaborating on each other's
public education campaigns that warn the young about it. Dr. Battey, what exactly is noise
induced hearing loss?
DR. JAMES F. BATTEY JR.: Noise induced hearing loss is hearing loss caused by exposure to
loud sounds. Depending on the noise, it can happen all at once such as exposure to a firecracker
or gun shot which we call impulse noise or little by little over a person's lifetime. Noise induced
hearing loss is cumulative. It's invisible and it's permanent. It's cumulative because the damage
can start when we are young and get worse over time. It's invisible because it can happen without
our even noticing it, particularly in young people, until it's too late. And it's permanent because
unlike a broken arm that will heal itself over time if properly set, we can't heal our hearing. Once
it's damaged, it's damaged for good under the current technology.
Fortunately noise induced hearing loss is also largely preventable. There are steps that we can all
take to protect our hearing and help our hearing last a lifetime.
JOE CERQUONE: Well that's very interesting. And certainly we're going to get to those steps
because that's really very important information to impart. But before we do that, I think that
there is a belief among some of the public that hearing loss is an older person's health concern.
Why be concerned about noise induced hearing loss among the young?
DR. JAMES F. BATTEY JR.: While it's true that our chances of losing hearing increase
dramatically as we age, hearing loss can occur anytime during a person's life and depends on a
number of factors. With regards to hearing loss brought on by exposure to too much noise, kids
take part of noisy activities just as much, if not more, than some adults. And the more enough we
expose ourselves to loud sounds, the more at risk we become for noise induced hearing loss. For
example, researchers who studied hearing loss in the workplace have found that a person who is
exposed to noise levels at 85 decibels or higher which would typically be the sort of noise you
might get from a lawn mower or a leaf blower, are at risk for cumulative noise induced hearing
loss.
For example, an MP3 player played at maximum levels is roughly 105 decibels. That's 100 times
more intense than 85 decibels because the decibel scale is what we call a logarithmic scale.
Scientists say that sounds at 100 decibels can cause damage after 15 minutes of unprotected
exposure. And sounds at 110 decibels can cause permanent hearing loss after just one minute of
exposure.
JOE CERQUONE: Well Dr. Battey as you know there are many, many different health
concerns today. Why, in your opinion, is this one something that really, really matters?
DR. JAMES F. BATTEY JR.: You're certainly right that here at the National Institutes of
Health, we have many health concerns for young people that we all need to be aware of such as
the threat of obesity in the young which will threatened their long term healthcare over the entire
lifespan. And hearing loss can sometimes take a back seat to some of these more life and death
issues such as cancer, heart disease and the obesity epidemic that I mentioned just a moment ago.
However to loss one's hearing is literally to be cut off from being able to communicate with one's
friends, family, teachers, employers and co-workers. It can impact our social relationships,
academic pursuits, career choices and our overall well being. Older people when they lose their
hearing often no longer want to be out in social settings because the background noise makes it
impossible for them to understand spoken language and makes the experience unsatisfactory for
them. Helen Keller is quoted as saying that "hearing is the soul of knowledge and information of
a higher order. To be cut off from hearing is to be isolated indeed".
JOE CERQUONE: Well it's a noisy planet. Protect Their Hearing is the name of NIDCD's
campaign. It is aimed at the tweener age group. And it focuses on a variety of sources of noise.
Listen to Your Buds is ASHA's campaign. It is aimed at younger kids and focuses on the risk of
noise induced hearing loss from the misuse of personal audio technology. Dr. Battey in effect
both campaigns are prevention efforts. In your opinion, what is the value of doing prevention as
opposed to dealing with a health problem once it manifests itself?
DR. JAMES F. BATTEY JR.: It's really important to focus on prevention. Because once you
have lost your hearing, it can not be restored. We can provide amplification in the form of
hearing aids or for complete loss of hearing, a cochlear implant which provides electrical
stimulation to the auditory nerve that simulates the sort of hearing that individuals had under
normal circumstances. But once it's gone, it's gone. What we restore with hearing aids and
cochlear implants in no way is the equivalent of the hearing function that was there before the
hearing was damaged by noise or other circumstances.
JOE CERQUONE: Well now I'd like to get to those steps that you referenced early on. What
exactly is the message to the public about and particularly to the young about noise induced
hearing loss? What can parents do about it? What can teachers do about it? What can the kids
themselves do about it? What are the key things that people need to focus on?
DR. JAMES F. BATTEY JR.: There is a lot that parents and other significant adults in
children's lives can do. On the Noisy Planet Web site, we have tips for parents on how to talk to
their tweens about the dangers of noise induced hearing loss and how to protect their hearing.
We also provide some ideas for teachable moments those situations where a child may be more
open to learning about new ideas. One of the most common teachable moments happens anytime
you're exposed to potentially damaging noise levels and you take action. When you're mowing
the lawn or doing carpentry, put on ear protection. Provide a good example. When you are motor
boating, hunting or at a sports event, use hearing protectors. Let your children see you protecting
your hearing and they will realize that it's important for them to protect theirs.
Other things that parents and adults can do include learning which noises are potentially
damaging to your hearing. Sounds at or above 85 decibels, I've mentioned a few examples such
as MP3 players at top volumes, lawn mowers, woodworking equipment, impulse noise from gun
shots or firecrackers are all examples of noise that's potentially damaging to your hearing. Go to
the Noisy Planet Web site to learn about the sounds that put our hearing at risk, use the acronym
BAT to help your child remember three ways to protect hearing. Block the noise. Avoid the
noise. Turn the sound down. Which is another way of saying that noise induced hearing loss is a
result of the magnitude of the sound, the duration of the sound and the distant away from the
sound that your ears are placed.
Place hearing protectors such as ear plugs or ear muffs where they're most likely to be needed.
Place red stickers on objects that can reach unsafe decibel levels. And remind family members
that a sticker means that they should reduce the time they are around these objects and use
hearing protection. Tape a volume scale on your television or remote control to show where the
sound level is safe and unsafe. Set the maximum volume on your child's MP3 player to a safe
level. Involve school administrators, teachers and your PTAs in reducing noise levels in the
schools and during after school events. And for more hints, check the Noisy Planet Web site. Go
to http://www.noisyplanet.nidcd.nih.gov/ - which is all one word - .nidcd.nih.gov.
JOE CERQUONE: Well that's great advice. And as you know, ASHA is the first partnering
organization on NIDCD's campaign. What does it mean to NIDCD to have a partner like ASHA
for its campaign?
DR. JAMES F. BATTEY JR.: NIDCD welcomes the opportunity to work with organizations
that have an interest in preventing noise induced hearing loss. We feel this is a very important
problem because it's a form of hearing loss that is largely preventable. And for years, ASHA as
worked hard to reduce noise induced hearing loss in children as witnessed through your
wonderful campaign, Listen to Your Buds, the publication and the publication's language, speech
and hearing services in schools and other activities. By collaboration with ASHA, the NIDCD
hopes to extend the hearing protection message by reaching their members which include
audiologists, speech language pathologists and speech and language hearing sciences employed
in schools, in healthcare settings, in private practice and at colleges and universities doing
research across the nation.
JOE CERQUONE: Well, I think I can speak for ASHA, Dr. Battey, in sayings that we're very
happy that NIDCD is also partnering in ASHA's Listen to Your Buds campaign. And as you
know, free Listen to Your Buds safe listening concerts will be held in different cities this year for
local school children. They're going to feature performers from a national coalition of leading
musicians in the field of children's music that ASHA is forming in collaboration with Parent's
Choice Foundation. The next Listen to Your Buds concert will be in Washington D.C. at the end
of April. Dr. Battey, what is it about the concert series that made NIDCD want to get behind it?
DR. JAMES F. BATTEY JR.: Well Joe, I've spent a lot of time talking about dangerous noise.
But it's also important that we don't forget to celebrate good sounds. Concerts are a fun
innovative way to bring the hearing protection message to our youth while celebrating some of
the sounds that everyone loves to hear such as music.
JOE CERQUONE: Well it certainly promises to be a fun event for everyone involved. And,
before we go, let me once again share some important Web sites. Once again NIDCD's it's a
Noisy Planet Web site is www.noisyplanet.nidcd.nih.gov The Listen to Your Buds' site is
www.listentoyourbuds.org. That's the campaign of the American Speech Language Hearing
Association.
There are a couple of other sites. www.parents-choice.org/budsconcert.cfm which has
information about the Musicians' Coalition that ASHA is building with Parent's Choice
Foundation. And finally listeners can go to www.asha.org/proserve/ to find an audiologist in
their area who can serve as a great resource on noise induced hearing loss. Dr. Battey, thank you
very much for being our guest today.
DR. JAMES F. BATTEY JR.: It's been my pleasure.
ANNOUNCER: Be sure to check www.asha.org periodically for the latest Podcast in this
continuing series.
Listen to this Podcast
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©1997-2010 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association