WHO: One billion young people risk hearing loss due to loud music.
One Billion Young People Risk Hearing Loss Due to Loud Music
One Billion Young People Risk Hearing Loss Due to Loud Music
Turn it down, kid.
Photo by David Becker/Getty Images
Turn down the music. That&s the key message from the
that claims 1.1 billion young people are at risk of hearing loss because of the music they listen to through their smartphones or personal audio devices. The WHO claims that its data demonstrates around half of those aged 12-35 in middle- and high-income countries are exposed to unsafe levels of sound through headphones. And around 40 percent are exposed to potentially damaging sound at entertainment venues.
&As they go about their daily lives doing what they enjoy, more and more young people are placing themselves at risk of hearing loss,& says Dr. Etienne Krug, WHO Director for the Department for Management of Noncommunicable Diseases, Disability, Violence and Injury Prevention. &They should be aware that once you lose your hearing, it won&t come back.&
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What can people do? The WHO explains:
Teenagers and young people can better protect their hearing by keeping the volume down on personal audio devices, wearing earplugs when visiting noisy venues, and using carefully fitted, and, if possible, noise-cancelling earphones/headphones. They can also limit the time spent engaged in noisy activities by taking short listening breaks and restricting the daily use of personal audio devices to less than one hour. With the help of smartphone apps, they can monitor safe listening levels. In addition they should heed the warning signs of hearing loss and get regular hearing check-ups.
The WHO estimates that around 360 million people across the world suffer from &moderate to profound hearing loss due to various causes.&
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Health Report - One Billion Young People Risk Hearing Loss From Loud Music
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One Billion Young People Risk Hearing Loss From Loud Music
April 21,2015
Many young people risk hearing loss as the
of loud music on portable devices. (AP File Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Learning English, this is the Health and Lifestyle report.
One billion teenagers and young adults around the world risk losing their hearing by listening to loud music. This is according to the World Health Organization. The U.N. agency is asking young people to turn down the volume to prevent irreversible damage to their hearing.
Few things get the blood pumping like good music. Many people believe louder is better if you are listening to rock and roll.
But experiencing really loud music, even really good music, can have a serious effect on your hearing.
Dr. Shelley Chadha is a specialist on hearing damage for the World Health Organization. Dr. Chadha says that the cells we use to hear, called y cells, can be permanently damaged by loud sounds that happen over a long period of time, or are prolonged, and happen regularly, or are habitual.
&When this exposure is particularly loud or prolonged or habitual, the y cells are damaged permanently leading to irreversible hearing loss.&
Studies in middle-and high-income countries show nearly 50 percent of teenagers and young adults aged 12 to 35 years listen to unsafe levels of sound. They are listening on their personal audio devices as well as at concerts, nightclubs and other entertainment places.
But what is an unsafe level of sound?
The WHO says there can be many kinds of unsafe levels of sound. It depends on how loud the sound is and how long you listen to it. Unsafe can mean noise levels of 85 decibels for eight hours a day or 100 decibels for just 15 minutes.
Dr. Chadha told
when the intensity of sound increases by only three decibels, safe listening time goes down by half.
&If a person takes a subway to go from one place to the other for half an hour in the morning and a half an hour in the evening, and every day has to turn up the volume on his device because there is so much of noise of the train and everything around, and is listening to - let us say 100 db (decibels) for one hour every day, his hearing is going to get irreversibly damaged in a few years, in a couple of years time, for sure.&
Simple ways to prevent irreversible hearing loss
Dr. Chadha says there are simple measures to protect people from unsafe sound levels. She says young people who wear earplugs during concerts can enjoy music at 90 decibels as much as they can at 110 decibels. But she admits that earplugs may not look very cool.
&The fact that earplugs may look un-cool may be true today, but if there is a change in
that may not necessarily be true in the future and wearing earplugs may actually be cool.&
A common sense suggestion is to turn down the volume on your personal audio devices. The WHO also advises young people to limit their use of such devices to less than one hour a day. It reminds people to use their technology to stay safe. Smart phone apps can help to
safe listening levels.
The U.N. agency s 360 million people suffer hearing loss linked to many causes, including noise, genetic conditions, ious diseases and aging. It notes half of all cases of hearing loss are avoidable.
And that&s the
Learning English Health and Lifestyle report.
I&m Anna Matteo.
Lisa Schlein reported this story from Geneva. Anna Matteo wrote it for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor.
_______________________________________________________________
Words in This Story
irreversible & adj. im to change back to a previous condition or state
prolonged & adj. something that lasts or continues for a long time
habitual & adj. doing something regularly or repeatedly
decibel & n. a unit for measuring how loud a sound is
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爱思英语学习网是公益类学习网站，所有资料仅供学习者免费参考使用。每天阅读一点点------One&Billion&Young&People&Risk&Hearing&Loss
One&billion&teenagers&and&young&adults&around&the&world&risk&losing&their&hearing&by&listening&to&loud&music.&This&is&according&to&the&World&Health&Organization.&The&U.N.&agency&is&asking&young&people&to&turn&down&the&volume&to&prevent&irreversible&damage&to&their&hearing.
Few&things&get&the&blood&pumping&like&good&music.&Many&people&believe&louder&is&better&if&you&are&listening&to&rock&and&roll.
But&experiencing&really&loud&music,&even&really&good&music,&can&have&a&serious&effect&on&your&hearing.
Dr.&Shelley&Chadha&is&a&specialist&on&hearing&damage&for&the&World&Health&Organization.&Dr.&Chadha&says&that&the&cells&we&use&to&hear,&called&sensory&cells,&can&be&permanently&damaged&by&loud&sounds&that&happen&over&a&long&period&of&time,&or&are&prolonged,&and&happen&regularly,&or&are&habitual.
"When&this&exposure&is&particularly&loud&or&prolonged&or&habitual,&the&sensory&cells&are&damaged&permanently&leading&to&irreversible&hearing&loss."&
Studies&in&middle-and&high-income&countries&show&nearly&50&percent&of&teenagers&and&young&adults&aged&12&to&35&years&listen&to&unsafe&levels&of&sound.&They&are&listening&on&their&personal&audio&devices&as&well&as&at&concerts,&nightclubs&and&other&entertainment&places.
But&what&is&an&unsafe&level&of&sound?
The&WHO&says&there&can&be&many&kinds&of&unsafe&levels&of&sound.&It&depends&on&how&loud&the&sound&is&and&how&long&you&listen&to&it.&Unsafe&can&mean&noise&levels&of&85&decibels&for&eight&hours&a&day&or&100&decibels&for&just&15&minutes.
Dr.&Chadha&told&VOA&when&the&intensity&of&sound&increases&by&only&three&decibels,&safe&listening&time&goes&down&by&half.
"If&a&person&takes&a&subway&to&go&from&one&place&to&the&other&for&half&an&hour&in&the&morning&and&a&half&an&hour&in&the&evening,&and&every&day&has&to&turn&up&the&volume&on&his&device&because&there&is&so&much&of&noise&of&the&train&and&everything&around,&and&is&listening&to&-&let&us&say&100&db&(decibels)&for&one&hour&every&day,&his&hearing&is&going&to&get&irreversibly&damaged&in&a&few&years,&in&a&couple&of&years&time,&for&sure."
Simple&ways&to&prevent&irreversible&hearing&loss:
Dr.&Chadha&says&there&are&simple&measures&to&protect&people&from&unsafe&sound&levels.&She&says&young&people&who&wear&earplugs&during&concerts&can&enjoy&music&at&90&decibels&as&much&as&they&can&at&110&decibels.&But&she&admits&that&earplugs&may&not&look&very&cool.
"The&fact&that&earplugs&may&look&un-cool&may&be&true&today,&but&if&there&is&a&change&in&behavior&that&may&not&necessarily&be&true&in&the&future&and&wearing&earplugs&may&actually&be&cool."
A&common&sense&suggestion&is&to&turn&down&the&volume&on&your&personal&audio&devices.&The&WHO&also&advises&young&people&to&limit&their&use&of&such&devices&to&less&than&one&hour&a&day.&It&reminds&people&to&use&their&technology&to&stay&safe.&Smart&phone&apps&can&help&to&monitor&safe&listening&levels.
The&U.N.&agency&estimates&360&million&people&suffer&hearing&loss&linked&to&many&causes,&including&noise,&genetic&conditions,&infectious&diseases&and&aging.&It&notes&half&of&all&cases&of&hearing&loss&are&avoidable.&
世界各地有十亿青少年由于听嘈杂音乐存在失聪的风险，这是按照世界卫生组织的说法。该联合国机构要求年轻人调低音量以防止听力遭到不可逆转的损害。
很少有东西能像好音乐这样让人血液沸腾。许多人认为在听摇滚乐时声音越大越好。
但是享受非常吵闹的音乐，即使是真正的好音乐，也会对您的听力产生严重影响。
雪莱·查达（Shelley&Chadha）博士是世界卫生组织听力损伤方面的专家。查达博士表示，我们用于聆听声音的细胞被称之为感知细胞。它会被长时间或定期发出的吵闹声音永久损害。
查达博士表示，“如果声音特别大，或者长时间，或者定期发出时，感知细胞就会被永久损害，导致不可逆转的听力损伤。”
在中高收入国家展开的研究显示，将近50%年龄在12岁到35岁的青少年听到的声音属于不安全等级。他们通过自己的个人音频设备，或者在演唱会、夜店等娱乐场所听到各不安全声音等级有很多种。
&&&&但是什么是不安全的声音等级？
世界卫生组织表示，它取决于声音的响度以及听的时间。不安全意味着每天8小时接受85分贝的噪音水平，或者接受15分钟100分贝的噪音水平。
查达博士对美国之音表示，声音强度只要增加3个分贝，安全聆听时间就会下降一半。
“如果某人每天早晚各乘坐半个小时的地铁出行，而且因为地铁和周边环境很吵必须把音量调高。如果我们假设每天他听100分贝声音的时间是1个小时，他的听力将会在数年内遭受不可逆转的损害。这肯定只需要几年时间。”
查达博士表示，有几种简单的措施可以让人们远离不安全的声音水平。她说，年轻人在演唱会上戴上耳塞就能聆听90分贝甚至高达110分贝的音乐。但是她承认，耳塞可能看不上不是很酷。
防止力遭受不可逆转损害的简单途径
“耳塞在如今看上去可能不太酷，但是如果对行为有所改变，让未来不必如此，戴耳塞可能就很酷。”
一种常识性建议是调低个人音频设备的音量。世界卫生组织还建议年轻人将每天使用这类设备的时间限定到一个小时以内，并提醒人们利用科技来保证安全。智能手机应用程序可以帮助人们监控安全聆听水平。
世界卫生组织估计有3.6亿人因为多种原因遭受听力损害，包括噪音、遗传学疾病、传染性疾病和衰老。该机构指出，有一半的听力损伤是可以避免的。
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