Earphones Are A Severe Hearing Risk For Children

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Earphones are a severe hearing risk for children

By The Nation

Published on January 18, 2010

Children who listen to loud music through earphones connected to portable music devices are at risk of having hearing problems, and those younger than five years old are advised to not use earphones, or they face slow development, the Public Health Ministry warned yesterday.

Citing a European Union health report which designated the 80decibel level as a safety limit, secretarygeneral Phaijit Warachit said more than 10 million teenagers there had hearing problems, while around five to ten per cent of portable music devices worldwide offered a similar risk.

Thailand has no such statistics, but Dr Phajit cited a National Statistical Office survey last year that there were now 32 million users of mobile phones with a minimum age of six, a 53percent increase compared to a survey four years earlier.

"The hearing problems possibly inflicted on a large number of Thai teenagers, resulting from excessive noise level in earphones, will have a bad impact on the country in many areas," he said.

Dr Somkiat Sirirattanaphruek, a senior government doctor with expertise in occupational and environmental hazards, said there was no decibel regulations imposed on manufacturers of mobile phones and portable music devices, despite common knowledge that 80decibel was the safest level.

Dangerous earphones

He said there were three types of earphones - the overear type, the onear type, and inear type - which is most dangerous although the most popular among teenagers. "This inear type gives the loudest beat to the music and is most popular among them - rhythmbased music types like hip hop or rock 'n' roll," he said

Somkiat cited a smallerscale local survey about hearing problems among Thai students - that around 70 per cent in upper and lower secondary levels who regularly listened to loud music through earphones, reported hearing problems.

He said the most dangerous practice was of wearing earphones to sleep - which could cause bad effects or injuries on waking up.

"The longterm effect could be permanent loss of hearing, while the shortterm effects include emotional breakdown, aggressiveness and loss of concentration."

Children younger than five, whose ear nerve cells are developing and very fragile, could possibly face slow development, or initial hearing problems resulting in speaking difficulties and personality problems, which would have lifelong effects after they grow up, Somkiat said.

-- The Nation 2010-01-18

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[Thai at Heart]

I am sure the irony of doctors in one of the most noise polluted countries in the world warning about the dangers of earphones isn't lost on most.

I would imagine they would warn about shopping in large malls on weekends as being more damaging for one's hearing.

[madmitch]

I am sure the irony of doctors in one of the most noise polluted countries in the world warning about the dangers of earphones isn't lost on most.

I would imagine they would warn about shopping in large malls on weekends as being more damaging for one's hearing.

Absolutely right.

I went to the Children's Day celebrations at Saphan Hin and I spent half the time with my fingers in my ears, the noise being unbearably loud. And this was aimed at children.

And this is from someone who saw The Who in their heyday!

[tonititan]

I completely agree that there is too much noise around town! But, I think it's important to remember one big difference - they provide sustained noise exposure. Some kids listen to music for hours at a time, every day, for years and years. It is this continuous exposure that can damage the kids' ears. Hearing loud music for 20 hours a week is different than going to a one-time concert that lasts a few hours.

[bkkjames]

I wonder if the good Doctor has spent anytime in a Thai shopping mall on a weekend or the skytrain for the matter.

Rock and Roll ain't noise pollution!

To heck with it, just impose a crackdown on headphones between 2-5 pm.

Re: Emotional Breakdown, perhaps if they listen to too much Rolling Stones.

[tonititan]

I completely agree that there is too much noise around town! But, I think it's important to remember one big difference - they provide sustained noise exposure. Some kids listen to music for hours at a time, every day, for years and years. It is this continuous exposure that can damage the kids' ears. Hearing loud music for 20 hours a week is different than going to a one-time concert that lasts a few hours.

Oops, when I said "they," I meant earphones. For some reason I can't edit my posts when I'm on this comptuer...

[infernalman7]

FYI, the loud music you hear from speakers even they are really loud, they don't affect your ears as badly as earphones.

[SabaiBKK]

FYI, the loud music you hear from speakers even they are really loud, they don't affect your ears as badly as earphones.

Thailand wakes up 20 years after the west .... once again

[MUYTHAI]

Huh? What? Speak up!

No kidding. I could have told them that when I was a child. Ear phones, etc. trap the electron-induced (energy) collisions of molecules in the air within the cavity between the ear structures and the ear phones, head phones, etc.. The majority of the richocheting molecules can't escape from the cavity and, thus, crash into the eardrum over and over. There are too many "Homer Simpsons" on the Earth.

[tso310]

FYI, the loud music you hear from speakers even they are really loud, they don't affect your ears as badly as earphones.

Thailand wakes up 20 years after the west .... once again

I remember this being discussed when the Sony Walkman first came out circa 1982.

[Hardback]

More paternalistic droning from the government posted as "news" so that we can all deride it..where's the real news?

[Scott]

I work in a school and the noise level is unbelievably high. At times it is painful to the ears. In the morning they start blaring music and then the national anthem. In the main area, it is physically painful. It is loud enough that even in my office, with all windows and doors closed, I can't here my mobile phone ring, let alone talk on it.

I have implored them to turn the volume down, but it has been to little avail. Seems the volume button has 'rusted' on the number 10--the highest setting. Some teachers now use portable microphones in class. All the assistants use loud hailers.

It's unbelievable. It's also very stress inducing.

[Dakhar]

Well the only Doctorate level audiologist in the country will come forward...

Sorry to refute the physician.... (as if they should know) in the ear ear phones often called IEMs (in the ear monitors) are no more dangerous than other types of head phones and in fact the argument can be made that they are actually safer.

The nice thing about IEMs is that they occlude the ears, thus blocking out ambient sound, & by doing so, a person can turn down the volume and not try to compensate for ambient noise masking over the music.

In fact, custom IEMs (which my company makes) are used as hearing protection by many musicians in the western world.

But all the other posts regarding this topic (irony, school noise etc) I agree fully.