Photo credit: Steve Johnson licensed under CC by 2.0
by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition
Engineers at Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science have made an advance in hearing aid design that reportedly will allow users to better understand speech in noisy environments by combining auditory and neurological signal processing techniques. No doubt the millions of people who suffer with hearing loss appreciate the efforts to tackle this health issue. But why do we see article after article focusing on funding for treatments or cures of hearing loss but nothing about funding hearing loss prevention?
We think the better option is to prevent noise-induced hearing loss by avoiding exposure to loud noise. The human ear and brain are designed to process incoming sound well and probably do this better than any electronic gizmo can. Research shows that noise damages not just the ear but directly damages the brain as well, at least in animal models.
And for those who already have hearing loss–and even for those who don’t–quieter indoor and outdoor environments will allow everyone to converse more easily. The techniques for creating indoor quiet are well known: eliminate noise sources if possible, isolate noise sources that can’t be eliminated, use sound absorbing materials on floors, walls, ceilings, and furniture, and use architectural features to break up reflected sound waves. And while some may balk at the cost of implementing these techniques, there is one no cost option everyone can use: turn down the volume of amplified sound from rock concert levels to hearing preservation levels!
