Listen to your buds Published Dec. 17, 2013 By Staff Sgt. Benjamin W. Stratton 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- After a long day of work, the last thing you want to hear is your neighbor's favorite screaming rock band, but when fellow Airmen use their ear buds on the highest volume setting, no one gets to enjoy the silence. Music technology has come a long way since Edison's first phonograph -- from loud, crackly records, all the way to inner-ear buds. While these conveniences are a part of everyday life, they can also be detrimental to your health and possibly career ending. "In the military, many people are exposed to dangerously loud noises on a regular basis due to our jobs, especially personnel who work on the flightline," said Senior Airman Inderraj Singh, the 92nd Aerospace Medicine Squadron occupational health program manager. "Exposing ourselves to excessively loud noise or loud noise for long periods of time will cause noise-induced hearing loss. Any type of loud noise can cause this hearing loss; even listening to music that's too loud can cause permanent damage." Servicemembers understand how essential it is to wear their personal protective equipment while performing the mission in situations requiring extra hearing protection, but what most don't realize, Singh said, is hearing loss can occur at any time. "It can happen if their exposure is every day, routine, and they don't wear hearing plugs the way they are designed to be worn," he said. "Hearing loss is bound to happen off-duty too, especially if they like shooting guns or even just operating a lawn mower." Singh said these sounds generate 85 decibels or greater, and can potentially lead to hearing loss after six to eight hours of constant irritation. "The best way to protect your ears is to wear properly fitted 'foamies' earplugs," said Singh, assuring public health does provide training to ensure a proper fitting. Foamies protect against 29 decibels if worn properly, and with headsets, the combined protection totals 32 decibels. "If you have to shout to someone at arm length away, then you're at over 85 decibels," Singh said. "Those people who drive motorcycles or something similar are enduring potentially 85 decibels or more. Even attending a rock concert can be harmful at more than 110 decibels -- but the duration of the act is important to note. You may feel deaf after a loud concert, but your hearing generally bounces back. The best bet is to be conscious of what you expose your hearing to." "The best thing is simply to police ourselves; it will be well worth it," he added. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, hearing loss can come from a variety of factors, but the number one source for hearing loss in America is exposure to very loud noise. ASHA officials say listening to loud noise for long periods of time can damage the hair cells in the inner ear. Noise-induced hearing loss usually develops gradually and painlessly. A single exposure to an extremely loud sound, such as an explosion, can cause a sudden loss of hearing. This is called acoustic trauma. In the Air Force, noise-induced hearing loss is an important matter and it's the number one cause for disability. To help combat the damage done by dangerous amounts of noise, personnel at risk take annual audiograms, as well as get fitted for earplugs to make sure the correct size is worn and worn correctly. "Correctly wearing earplugs and earmuffs will greatly reduce the amount of noise to a reasonable level," said Singh. People with hearing loss may have: - Difficulty speaking and understanding verbal communication - Problems in academic achievement; feelings of isolation, exclusion, embarrassment, annoyance, confusion and helplessness - A reluctance to participate in activities with others - Significant problems following directions - Numerous physiological changes, sleep difficulties, digestive problems, delayed emotional development, stress related disorders, behavioral problems, body fatigue and possible immunological effects There is hope, however, and all these symptoms can be avoided. "The positive is that noise-induced hearing loss is preventable," Singh said. "As long as you wear personal protective equipment the proper way, noise-induced hearing loss won't be a reason for anyone to lose their position." Visit www.asha.org/public for more information on how to prevent hearing loss or call the 92nd Medical Group public health office at (509) 247-5757.