Earplugs For Keen Music Lovers

Spanish apparel brand Desigual was reported to play music in its Viennese shop as loud as 101 decibels, says The Vienna Times. Since ear protection is required when the noise exceeds 85 decibels, Desigual's sales associates and customers can be at risk of developing hearing impairments. The noise level they are exposed to in the shop is similar to the noise produced by a pneumatic drill and, according to the Austrian Trade Union, is the highest among more than a hundred shops tested across the country. Factory workers would be forced to wear earplugs in similar situations.

U.S. studies on human exposure to noise
The findings of one study show that exposure to loud volumes can damage one's hearing with time. The University of Minnesota in the USA tested hearing of 29 men and women aged 17-59 before and after a concert. The noise levels at the concert reached as many as 125 decibels. The subjects of this research had their seats in different places of the concert hall, with one participant in each location wearing noise-cancelling earplugs.

At risk of permanent hearing loss
Before the experiment, all of them had normal or near-normal hearing but after the exposure to very loud music, 64% of people who had no ear protection were reported to have major hearing changes. It has been scientifically proven that loud noises of 85 decibels or over can be damaging to one's hearing. The researchers of Minnesota University said the damage might not be permanent for most of the subjects exposed to the 125-decibel noise level but repeated exposure could cause permanent hearing loss.

Ear protection
The study also reveals that earplugs can work well in many situations but they are by no means an all-purpose remedy. Cheap over-the-counter products can lower the impact of loud volumes on the human ear by 21 decibels but the remaining 104 decibels still poses a serious health risk. According to the researchers, 27% of the subjects who used ear protection at the concert had some changes in their ability to hear soft sounds after it. Quality custom-moulded earplugs can seal the ear more tightly and keep the exposure to loud noises to a minimum.

Desigual's sales associates and customers will be at risk of developing hearing loss when are exposed to the 101 decibels. As the Vienna Times puts it, if the music in the shop were 29 decibels louder, it would be equivalent to the noise produced by a jet plane.

~ 31 December 2011~