This Is Your Workplace on Noise

By Kathi Mestayer

Imagine that this is the view from your office window. Not bad—residential neighborhood, skyscrapers in the distance, and the train nearby means you can get to work without driving.

This view is from the Post Office Distribution Center in Oakland, Calif. It’s only 100 feet from the tracks where Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) trains line up to cross San Francisco Bay.  

The office has windows, too, which is nice. When the trains go by (every three to four minutes), accelerating and decelerating (think screeching brakes), those single-paned windows with metal frames not only let the view in, they let the sound in. And if you open them for a little fresh air, well… you can almost feel your teeth rattling.

Ethan Salter is an acoustician at the San Francisco-based Charles M. Salter Associates and was called to help reduce the noise pollution. “It was definitely difficult to communicate by phone, or even face to face, and the noise interfered with the work people were trying to do,” Salter says.   

This presents an entirely different noise problem than an office setting where the printer or a conversation in the next cubicle is the culprit. But the principles acousticians use are the same.

The rule of thumb they use is that a signal-to-noise ratio of at least 10 decibels (dBA) is required in order to be able to hear speech over noise. That means the “signal,” or what you’re trying to hear, has to be 10 dBA louder than the background noise, in order for the speech to be intelligible. (The unit dBA measures how humans perceive sound.)

With frequent BART trains and single-paned glass or open windows, that’s a tall order.

Salter worked with the Post Office staff to evaluate the alternatives in terms of cost, aesthetics, and constructability. “One type of window was too expensive, and the owner and contractor wanted to use another, more common window system that would get them a good price,” he says. “So we retrofitted one room at the facility with a double-paned window that had a layer of plastic in between the two panes of glass.” The improvement was about 10 to 15 dBA compared with the existing windows.

Now when postal employees look out their office windows, they can at least have a conversation while getting the job done. And still enjoy that expansive view.

For more:

• If you have a hearing loss, learn how you can hear better in the workplace in Hearing Health magazine's “Office Space.”

• Learn what rights you have as an employee working in a noisy space in Hearing Health magazine's “Caution: Noise at Work” and the dangers of loud gyms in “No Pain, No Gain?”

• See what steps one busy Northern California restaurant is taking so its patrons can hear one another while dining.

Hearing Health magazine staff writer Kathi Mestayer serves on advisory boards for the Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the Greater Richmond, Va., chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America.

Undercover Noise Cop

By Kathi Mestayer

New Year, New You? If you’re planning to hit the gym as part of a New Year’s resolution, don’t forget that being healthy includes protecting your hearing. Look for “No Pain, No Gain?” this January in Hearing Health magazine.

To write my story, I had to do some sleuthing. I’ve been doing undercover noise data collection for a few months. My instruments range from two virtually invisible smartphone apps (SoundMeter+ and AudioTools) to a very visible, unwieldy, professional sound meter. Everyone can see it, but nobody knows what it is.

Picture me in my bathing suit (be kind), walking around a huge, cavernous, swimming pool area at a community recreation center. I’m cradling the professional sound meter like a baby in my arms, its 3-inch-diameter sponge microphone cover sticking out like a huge Tootsie Roll. In my other hand is my smartphone, its decibel app meter flying back and forth at a rate so fast I can barely see it.  

The folks in the aquatics class at my end of the pool are working out, following the instructor’s movements. The boom box is barely audible due to the extremely resonant sound bouncing off of the glass and steel.

The teacher, who knows me from classes I’ve taken, gives me a “what on earth are you doing?” look, and then quickly goes back to her teaching. The lifeguard, on the other hand, is taking the liberty of really staring at me. I’m feeling pretty conspicuous.  

I take a few readings with both meters, and get a range of 74 to 78 dBA (the unit dBA measures sound levels as perceived by humans). Then, I skulk along the side of the pool to the aquatics boom box, to see how much it is adding to the din. It adds about 4 dBA, which is a significant jump in decibel terms.

As I note in my story on noisy gyms (coming up in the Winter 2014 issue of Hearing Health, out in January):

“Remember that decibel increases are magnified: 80 dBA is twice as loud as 77 dBA—the sound energy doubles with each 3 dBA increase. So while 4 dBA doesn’t seem like much on a linear scale, it’s a big difference in dBA terms.”

On my way out, I slink over to the lifeguard and tell her what I’m doing. She doesn’t ask what readings I’m getting but luckily for her, it’s within Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) limits for her as a worker. Fortunately, she doesn’t have to worry about hearing damage, at least at this sound level.

LEARN MORE:

• Be sure to read our guide to hearing aids for an active lifestyle in “Get Active” by staff writer and audiologist Barbara Jenkins, Au.D.

• If you have a hearing loss, here’s how you can hear better in the workplace in “Office Space.”

• See what steps one busy Northern California restaurant is taking so its patrons can hear one another while dining.

Hearing Health magazine staff writer Kathi Mestayer serves on advisory boards for the Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the Greater Richmond, Va., chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America.

"Hear Today, Gone Tomorrow," says the NYC Department of Health

By Tara Guastella

Last week, the New York City Department of Health announced the launch of a new public health awareness campaign. Rather than targeting oversize soft drinks or styrofoam containers, this ad campaign focuses on a very important issue: noise-induced hearing loss. The campaign warns that listening to headphones at a high volume can lead to both hearing loss and tinnitus.

The health department collected data on levels of hearing loss and found that nearly one out of four adults ages 18 to 44 who report heavy headphone use say they have hearing problems. This group was also more than twice as likely to report hearing problems than those who report light-to-moderate use or no use of headphones.

“Listening to headphones at a high volume for too long can damage your hearing,” says Health Commissioner Thomas Farley, M.D. “If you want to continue to enjoy music in the future, you’ll turn down the volume today.”

The hearing loss is permanent. Unlike birds, fish, and reptiles, humans and all mammals cannot restore their own hearing because we don’t have the ability regenerate inner ear hair cells. So when those hair cells are damaged by chronic exposure to loud sounds, our ability to hear is irreversibly compromised.

HHF’s Hearing Restoration Project (HRP) is working toward a cure for hearing loss and tinnitus. Our HRP consortium members are working collaboratively and sharing data on their findings in bird, zebrafish, and mouse studies. By doing so, they are able to assess how birds and zebrafish show regeneration while a mouse does not, after a very early developmental time. Other HRP research examines which cell types we are likely to need to target in damaged human ears to induce regeneration.  

As our HRP researchers work toward a cure, it is important to take precautionary steps to prevent further loss of hearing. Follow this advice from the NYC Department of Health:

• Reduce the volume, limit listening time, and take regular breaks.

• Never listen at maximum volume and do not turn the volume up to drown out external noise.

• Use volume limiting features of personal listening devices.

• Know the early signs of hearing loss and ask a doctor for a hearing test if you have trouble hearing conversation, need to turn up the volumes on TV, radio, or personal music players or experience ringing in the ear.

Safe listening!

Today, We Honor our Vets: 60% of Whom Return with Hearing Loss or Tinnitus

By Yishane Lee

Veterans are uniquely affected by noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and tinnitus. These two conditions are the top complaints among returning military personnel. In part due to ongoing conflicts abroad, there have been more than 1 million cases of tinnitus, hearing loss, and other auditory disorders over the past decade.

Noise exposure during service in Iraq and Afghanistan is to blame, but veterans from older conflicts also report their hearing has been damaged, likely in part due to their military service decades ago.

At HHF, we have been working with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to bring attention to this major health threat among veterans. Among the average population, the risk of NIHL in the workplace is something that is very preventable, through the use of earplugs, sound-damping architectural or interior design features, and plain-old noise breaks, as mandated by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration.

But out in the field, with the machinery that is necessary for military readiness and the constant risk of facing potential enemy combatants, hearing well—and the ability to hear signs of danger and fellow soldiers—can be a matter of life or death. Sudden noises, such as from an improvised explosive device (IED) or other weapons, can’t necessarily be predicted—and protected from.

What’s more, the temporary hearing loss that results from a sudden loud explosion puts the military personnel even more at risk. (Think about how your hearing is muffled after a loud concert. Now think about experiencing that muffled hearing in a tense combat situation.) Although recent research has found that short-term hearing loss may actually protect hearing, if it is repeated often enough, the sensitive hair cells in the inner ear die, leading to permanent hearing loss. (HHF is working to find a way to regenerate hair cells, through our Hearing Restoration Project.)

The VA has been working to remedy the situation. Together with the Department of Defense, its Veterans Health Administration launched the Hearing Center of Excellence to provide education and resources to members of the military. Among the Texas-based center’s mission drivers and goals are prevention and education, accurate and comprehensive data collection, and research into effective treatments, according to otolaryngologist Mark D. Packer, M.D., its founding director. (And yes, we here at HHF have the same goals, along with the search for a cure for hearing loss and tinnitus.)

The VA is also conducting clinical trials to find an effective tinnitus treatment, including the landmark Tinnitus Retraining Therapy Trial, headed by Craig Formby, Ph.D. A sequential tinnitus treatment, called Progressive Tinnitus Management, is also showing promise among veterans. For one thing, part of the treatment can be done remotely, over the phone or the computer. This diminishes the need for frequent trips to a VA hospital, which veterans say can be difficult to maintain because of work, other injuries, finances, or sheer distance.

This Veterans Day, please take a moment to remember the service that our fellow Americans have volunteered to perform for the rest of the country, and share your stories and comments below.

Restaurant Conversation: Not Just for the Hearing

By Kathi Mestayer

While planning a recent visit to see my sister in Berkeley, she suggested that we go out to dinner at their favorite restaurant, Comal. I took a peek at its website and saw that the food is inspired by the regional cuisine of Oaxaca, Mexico, which we’ve visited three times. It was an easy yes!

The website also told me that Comal has spent a lot of time and effort on its acoustics, to make it possible to have both dinner and a conversation—at the same time, without yelling or becoming frustrated. Since I recently wrote about workplace noise in open office plans, I was also interested in real-world noise dampening efforts.

Because three of the five of us for dinner have hearing loss, I thought it would be the perfect group to check it out. My sister and I showed up a little early, and were lucky to find the general manager, Andrew Hoffman, also a co-owner, willing to give us a quick description of the acoustic features.

These include large acoustic panels on the walls to dampen reverberation, covered with original artwork (see photo above), acoustic material (tectum) behind the walls, and duct liner on the ceilings.

Andrew told us to look up at the tiny black microphones extending from the ceiling—barely visible. They were the working end of the computerized acoustic system (Meyer Sound’s Constellation System) that adjusts itself to the level and type of sound in the restaurant and creates the best acoustics possible given the noise level. 

We went downstairs into the control room, where a large stack of data processors was blinking away, doing the real-time work of managing noise upstairs. Andrew’s iPhone could make adjustments on the go. I asked him about the conventional wisdom that more noise in restaurants results in more sales of food and drinks. “We’re not just about turning tables here,” he replied.

We then sat down to a wonderful meal, and talked. We were able to have a conversation for at least an hour, while every seat in the place was full, including at the bar. It’s hard to know, of course, what the noise level would have been without the acoustic components and system, but given the shape of the space (open plan, high ceiling, hard surfaces) and the people in it, it was quite different than we expected. Not as quiet as our own dining room, but the food was much, much better.

Hearing Health magazine staff writer Kathi Mestayer serves on advisory boards for the Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the Greater Richmond, Va., chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America.

Do You Know the Signs of Communication Disorders?

By Tara Guastella

Stuttering, a slow rate of speech, and mumbling. Struggling to say sounds, pulling or scratching at the ears, and social isolation. Did you know that all of these are signs of a hearing loss or a communication disorder?

Nearly 50 million Americans suffer from hearing loss and other communication disorders. These disorders, which are characterized by difficulty speaking or hearing, affect the youngest and oldest members of our society—and everyone in between.

When left untreated, their effects of can be debilitating. Too often, people struggle with these challenges and fail to seek proper, timely treatment. Early detection of speech, language, and hearing issues is absolutely critical to treatment success, impacting academic, social, and career outcomes.

Unfortunately, many parents, caregivers, spouses, and other loved ones are unable to identify the early warning signs of these issues or dismiss them too readily. A recent poll of the speech-language pathologists and audiologists of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)—the professionals who treat these disorders—reported that lack of awareness of these signs is the leading barrier to early detection.

To help remedy the situation, ASHA has launched a national campaign, Identify the Signs. We’re proud to announce that Hearing Health Foundation has joined this effort as a campaign partner. This yearlong multimedia campaign, which launched this fall, addresses the importance of early detection, helps the public identify the early warning signs of communication disorders, and encourages people to seek the most appropriate professional help.

The campaign includes TV, radio, print, and digital public service announcements and a media outreach push. Please visit the campaign website for information and resources, and share it with your family, friends, and colleagues. Above all, we hope you will seek help if you suspect that you or a loved one shows signs of having a disorder.

Early diagnosis is the most powerful way to reduce or even reverse the impact of these disorders and can give your loved ones the opportunity to lead the fullest lives possible.

When Was Your Last Hearing Test?

By Tara Guastella

Nearly 50 million Americans experience some degree of hearing loss and tinnitus. However, on average a person will have trouble hearing for 7 to 10 years before seeing a hearing health professional.

Why do we wait so long to have a hearing test? If you had trouble with your vision, would you wait to see an eye doctor? Probably not. Many feel that hearing loss is something that only affects the elderly, but nowadays a greater number of young adults are being afflicted by hearing loss (and tinnitus). One in 5 teenagers has a hearing loss and that number will likely increase over the next two decades.

The biggest likely reason for the increase among young adults is exposure to loud sounds. Approximately 26 million Americans between the ages of 20 and 69 have high frequency hearing loss due to exposure to loud noises at work or in leisure activities.

A recent study in New York City found that young adults (ages 18 to 44) who routinely listen to loud music with headphones (defined as loud use five to seven days per week for four or more hours per day) were also more likely to have hearing loss and tinnitus. Hearing loss among adolescents has also increased more than 30 percent between 1988 and 2006. The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene recommends reducing the volume, limiting your listening time, and taking regular breaks when using headphones. Never listen at maximum volume.

In honor of National Audiology Awareness Month & National Protect Your Hearing Month this October, schedule an appointment with an audiologist or otolaryngologist (ENT) to have your (or a family member’s) hearing checked. You can find a hearing healthcare provider in your area here. By having a hearing test, you’re taking the first step toward making hearing health a priority and ensuring you don’t miss wonderful sounds, such as hearing your family’s voices.

The American Academy of Audiology also provides a number of resources for you to raise awareness of protecting your hearing this month. From facts sheets on different forms of hearing loss to web tools to posters, you can find a variety of resources here. Take action in your community and spread the word about the importance of hearing healthcare today.

Please share with us how you will be protecting your hearing this month in the comments below.

1 Hearing Problems and Heaphone Use in New York City; NYC Vital Signs, NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, July 2013, Volume 12, No. 2: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/survey/survey-2013noise.pdf

Tinnitus 101

By Yishane Lee

Hearing loss occurs with roughly 90 percent of tinnitus cases. Tinnitus is sometimes the first sign of hearing loss. Our Hearing Restoration Project promises a cure within the next decade not only for hearing loss, but also for tinnitus.

We recently did a special issue on tinnitus in Hearing Health magazine. Tinnitus affects up to 50 million people in the U.S. to some degree. Some 16 million people seek medical attention for their chronic tinnitus.

And for up to 2 million people, debilitating tinnitus affects their daily lives. Among veterans, tinnitus and hearing loss are the top service-related disabilities among veterans.

What exactly is tinnitus? What causes it? What does it sound like? What is its effect? And will it get better? These are many questions we address in our special issue.

Tinnitus in childhood is also a phenomenon, with incidence rates roughly equal to that of adults. It presents challenges for the young patient who may not have the ability to name the condition.

Here are treatment options we covered in the special issue:

• A combination of counseling and sound therapy has proven effective for people with chronic tinnitus.

• Devices that can be worn on the ear deliver sound therapy for tinnitus relief virtually anytime and anywhere.

• Drugs for tinnitus can be vetted through clinical trials, but the evidence for their efficacy remains thin.

• Efforts are under way to figure out how to dampen the neural hyperactivity that leads to tinnitus.

• A sequential program emerges as one of the most promising, research-based methods to help veterans manage their tinnitus.

We also featured the latest technology, including new hearing aids, billed as helpful for tinnitus sufferers.

Please also check out our new tinnitus section online where you’ll find even more resources and information about tinnitus, and where you can also sign up for emails with the latest news about tinnitus.

Eight Reasons to Get Your Hearing Checked This May

By Elizabeth Thorp

Did you know that nearly 50-million Americans have some sort of hearing loss? I'm one of them—I was born deaf in my left ear from genetic nonsyndromic senorineural hearing loss.

Hearing loss is actually the country's most common birth defect. In fact, two to three of every 1,000 children born in the United States are deaf or hard-of-hearing. And ninety percent of those kids have parents who can hear, like me. I wasn't fully diagnosed until I was a teen.

Perhaps even more interesting, the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) says that only 20% of the staggering number of people who could benefit from hearing aids are actually using them. Hearing research and technology have made huge leaps and bounds since I was a child, and the 40-million people not taking advantage of them are missing an opportunity to hear much better.

So in honor of Better Hearing and Speech Month—which continues through the end of May—here are eight reasons to get a hearing check now:

1. You've probably noticed a hearing problem already but done nothing about it. Don't worry, you're not alone. People generally wait seven to ten years between the time that they notice a hearing problem and the time they actually make an appointment with an audiologist or ENT.

2. Even if you've had regular physicals and appear to be in good health, you could have a hearing issue. Only 16% of physicians routinely screen for hearing loss.* Since a hearing exam is not a standard part of most examinations, you typically have to make a separate appointment—and you may not have known to do so since many general practitioners don't suggest it.

3. If you are a recent veteran, chances are your hearing was damaged during your service. 60% of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan come home with hearing loss and/or tinnitus.

4. Hearing loss can cause learning delays, and your child might be among the 20% of preschoolers to fail a hearing screening*, but the earlier the problem is caught, the better.

5. Hearing loss can lead to depression and social isolation—it can affect nearly every aspect of your life. Treating hearing loss can help people re-engage with their communities and even be able to stay more involved with their families.

6. A recent study out of Johns Hopkins showed that people with mild hearing loss are twice as likely to develop dementia—a likelihood that increases with the severity of the hearing loss. Researchers are still searching for reasons for this correlation, but one hypothesis is that the isolation and depression caused by untreated hearing loss may contribute to cognitive decline. It's possible that, by treating hearing loss, we may be able to stave off dementia.

7. One in five teenagers now has a hearing loss. The supposition is that this is caused by toxic levels of noise from mp3 players. While parents have for years been encourage their teens to turn the music down (listening at maximum volume for more than 15 minutes a day can cause a permanent hearing loss!), it's also important to ask if they're having trouble hearing and get their hearing checked.

8. If you pledge to get your hearing checked, you can help the Hearing Health Foundation raise money. For each online pledge up to 10,000, healthyhearing.com will donate a dollar to the Hearing Health Foundation to help fund hearing research. And a bonus: the Foundation will help you find local audiologist and otolaryngologist and provide information about what questions you should be asking when you visit.

Elizabeth Thorp is a family travel expert and writer. She is the founder of Poshbrood, a curated catalog of mom-tested, upscale, family-friendly vacation properties. She has been navigating public affairs and communications in Washington for 20 years. Elizabeth lives in Bethesda with her husband, Almus, and three young daughters Isabelle, Lucy, and Penelope.

*Statistic provided by Center for Hearing and Communication, from data collected in New York City.

Veterans' biggest health concern involves hearing damage

Hearing Health Foundation, the leading non-profit funder of hearing research, remains committed to the Americans serving in the U.S. armed forces who return home suffering from tinnitus (ringing in the ear) and hearing loss. At least 60 percent of soldiers coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan report hearing problems due to noise exposure experienced during their time of service; surprisingly, hearing loss and tinnitus are more common than post-traumatic stress disorder.

Hearing loss and tinnitus aren’t new to the military, found San Diego writer and editor Elizabeth Stump, whose research contributed to the content of this article. John Ayers, 79, of Texas was informed at the age of 25 that he had suffered from hearing loss due to his time in the U.S. Air Force preparing B-47 jet bombers to fly combat missions.

“Earplugs were required only for those who worked on the flight line and next to the aircraft,” he says. “Flying at 10,000 feet, the engine roar permeated every part of my body. The droning of the engines made the entire airplane frame vibrate, making it difficult to sleep; hearing other people talk was impossible. It was several days before my hearing returned to normal.”

“Hearing loss is truly a hidden disability, and our aim is to address significant gaps in the military’s ability to prevent or mitigate, and then treat this type of injury,” says Col. Mark Packer, the interim acting executive director of the Department of Defense’s Hearing Center of Excellence and an Air Force neurotologist.

For a variety of reasons, hearing protection for the military remains limited. Hearing Health Foundation strongly advocates using hearing protection in all situations with high noise levels, but while earplugs can protect against noises that reach 80 to 85 decibels, they can’t protect fully against explosions and firefights that reach intensely dangerous levels of up to 180 decibels.  Some active duty servicemen and women also worry that using earplugs will prevent them from hearing important tactical instructions.

Nathan Beltzee, 35, of New Jersey, served for 11 years in the Army and Air Force. He suffered hearing loss as a direct result of gunfire and loud jet engines.

“I have 40 percent hearing loss in my left ear and 30 percent in my right ear,” Beltzee says. “I left the service because of my hearing problems. I was afraid to ever fire a gun again or to be in a situation where I would be exposed to small arms fire or explosions that would make the ringing worse."

There is currently no cure for the noise-induced hearing loss experienced by armed forces, but through the Hearing Restoration Project, Hearing Health Foundation has a goal of a real, biological cure for hearing loss within the next decade.  The cure for hearing loss would help people like Ayers and Beltzee regain hearing lost as a result of their military service.