The Ear It is probably safe to say that most people are not aware of how sensitive the auditory system really is. When science refers to the ear, it is not simply referring to the two articles attached to either side of your head, but to the entire hearing organ, most of which lies beneath the skull. Learn about the anatomy of the ear The ear has more extensive nerve connections than any other organ. It should be treated with the respect we give the rest of our bodies. Hearing loss occurs naturally with age, but in young people it is normally the result of being exposed to too much loud sound. When exposed extensively to levels of 85 decibels or more, we risk permanent hearing loss. Rock concerts, and even rock music heard through headphones, exposes listeners to over 100 decibels of sound. According to Youth Hear-it, a website devoted to the study of hearing loss in young people, leisure noise causes hearing loss that may at first be temporary but which may become permanent, suddenly or over time. Young people are particularly at risk.i And Hearing Education and Awareness for Rockers (H.E.A.R) agrees: Recent studies have shown an increased incidence of hearing loss among grade school students and musicians.ii Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich suffers from Tinnitus—a constant, painful ringing in the ears. He attributes this auditory damage to loud music: I’ve been playing loud rock music for the better part of 35 years. I never used to play with any kind of protection...If you get a scratch on your nose, in a week that will be gone. When you scratch your hearing or damage your hearing, it doesn’t come back...once your hearing is gone, it’s gone, and there’s no real remedy.iii Pete Townshend, guitarist for the British rock band The Who, also has hearing damage due to his years of concerts and recording. He warns others about the dangers of listening to loud music live or through headphones: Hearing loss is a terrible thing because it cannot be repaired...If you use an iPod or anything like it, or your child uses one, you may be OK...But my intuition tells me there is terrible trouble ahead.iv Ulrich and Townshend are not alone. Composer and musician Danny Elfman, Jeff Rich of Status Quo, and even former US president Bill Clinton also suffered hearing damage because of exposure to loud music. Is listening to rock music worth the physical, emotional, and spiritual damage it can cause us?
Posted on: Fri, 31 Jan 2014 06:29:51 +0000
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