Regularly using headphones when they reach high sound levels can cause damage to the human ear. This injury is called noise trauma or acoustic trauma and Otorhinolaryngology of Hospital HLA San Carlos It is responsible for dealing with them.
"The human ear can perceive sounds very low intensities and including sound frequencies between 16 and 20.000 hertz (Hz), but those sounds which exceed 90-100 decibels (Db) of intensity can cause irreversible damage to cells inner ear, "says the specialist Federico De Grado Palomares.
"As an example of sound levels, we can cite the homes and offices quiet, hovering around 40 / 50 Db; to move to an urban environment like the street, the decibel scale of 60 to 80; and amount of 70 to 90 if we talk about the metro and other means of transport, "argues the otorrino Federico De Grado and explains that" if you look at the case of some factories identified in 90 to 110 Db, jackhammers reaching 120 and Db 130, 140 or more reactors Db aircraft and firing of firearms ".
When they exceed 36 Db. They achieve an impact on the body. "The psychic effects reach only 36 to 60 dB, the vegetative effects are also added between 60 and 90 dB of sound, and the auditory lesions already appear between 90 and 120, from this data in addition, the pain appears ”, Informs the HLA San Carlos Federico De Grado Hospital physician.
mental and physical effects of acoustic trauma
"The psychological effects of the sounds can be varied and depend not only on the intensity but also the time of exposure to them and individual factors may arise from simple discomfort, through inattention, fear and irritability, to problems obsession , lack of concentration, sleep disturbance, etc., "says Dr. De Grado, and also" eventually can lead to cause mood changes or mental disorders. "
On the other hand, are the pathological effects of sounds when you are listening to more than 90 / 100 Db. These effects may become irreversible hearing damage and high frequencies greater extent than serious. Moreover, it affects depending on the exposure time and the factors of each person.
"From the point of view casual, acoustic trauma may be acute, caused by a single exposure to high intensity sounds (explosions, detonations) in proximity of the head or ear; or chronic sound trauma caused by sounds less intense but longer periods of time, "such as the usual use and inadequate helmets and headphones to listen to music," In both cases, the effects on the auditory organ they are the same: hearing loss of greater or lesser intensity, with or without other audiological symptoms (tinnitus and dizziness) ".
Irreversible but not progressive, if we remove the cause
The HLA San Carlos Hospital Otolaryngology Service mentions that "these auditory lesions once established are irreversible, but if the causative factor is eliminated, they are not progressive."
And if we analyze the medical treatment, as a consequence of being irreversible lesions "we only use symptomatic medication (sedatives, anxiolytics, etc.) and for hearing loss, hearing aids (hearing aids)" the doctor says. He also argues that "the greatest solution to avoid acoustic trauma is to avoid it, moving away from sound sources generating sounds capable of causing it or with adequate individual protection capable of avoiding or decreasing the intensity of perceived sounds. ”
Contact Hospital San Carlos Grupo HLA
| Nancy Street, 3-5 View in Google Maps | |
| 966 470 162 | |
| Only by appointment: 965 17 47 37 | |
| Appointment by Whatsapp: 679144005 | |
| From Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 20 p.m. Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 14 p.m. (General medicine and nursing). Emergencies in Hospital San Carlos Dénia. | |
| grupohla.com | |
| hospitalsancarlos.es | |
| HLAGHospital Group | |
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