Turn it down! Now govt declares earphones a public health threat
“Noise-induced hearing loss is caused by damage to the hair cells found in the inner ear,” said Prof Anupam Mishra, the head of ENT (ear, nose and throat) department at KGMU.
Doctors have long warned about the detrimental effects of prolonged earphone use on hearing. Now, for the first time, the central government has recognised the excessive use of earphones as a significant public health concern.
As district administrations have been asked to raise awareness about the adverse impacts of earphones, you may soon start receiving SMS on your phones or see hoardings on roadsides warning you not to keep them plugged in for too long.
“Divisional and district-level authorities will now disseminate information regarding thehazards of the excessive use of earphones among masses through various platforms. The Government of India wrote a letter to states that has been sent to district administrations,” said Partha Sarthi Sen Sharma, the principal secretary of Medical Health, who sent the letters to all district magistrates in the state.
Experts say exposure to loud noises for long periods harms a person in several ways. “Your response depends on the stimulus. With earphones on you don’t get a good stimulus resulting in poor response, which is also taken as loss of hearing. This is evident with incidents where while crossing a railway track a person with earphones on misses the train’s whistle,” said Prof RK Garg, the head of the neurology department at King George’s Medical University (KGMU).
“Noise-induced hearing loss is caused by damage to the hair cells found in the inner ear,” said Prof Anupam Mishra, the head of ENT (ear, nose and throat) department at KGMU.
“Sound is perceived through the hair cells inside the ears. These tiny hair cells vibrate and send messages to your auditory nerve that connects your ears to the brain. Your brain translates it into sound. In other words, your brain is from where your sense of hearing comes to life. High decibel noises can cause acute sensory level hearing loss and can be irreversible if treatment is not started in two-three days,” said Dr Pankaj Srivastava, a senior ENT consultant at Civil Hospital.
The letter demands local authorities to spread awareness regarding the unwarranted use of earphones, recommending that individuals use earphones or other devices at noise levels below 50 decibels, limit their usage to no more than two hours per day, and monitor children’s participation in online gaming.
“It is known that when hearing loss is permanent it cannot be corrected or treated. To check this damage and prevent tinnitus (a medical condition), adequate measures are to be taken,” said the letter from the principal secretary.
Tinnitus is the medical term for hearing noises in the ears. It occurs when there is no outside source of the sounds. Tinnitus is often called ‘ringing in the ears’.
Sounds at 85 decibels can lead to hearing loss if you listen to them for more than eight hours at a stretch. Sounds over 85 decibels can damage your hearing faster, said experts.
“Among the treatable hearing losses, delay can reduce the chance of recovery to as low as 10%,” said Dr Srivastava.