Is your car making you deaf?
Can you hear me at the back there? No? Youare probably an open-top sports car driver or a motorcyclist then. You probably drive and your ears are ringing. That is called a temporary threshold shift, which is a short-term hearing loss after exposure to loud, sustained noise. Most of the time it gets better, but sometimes it doesn`t. As your hearing starts to worsen, you realise that DRIVING YOUR OPEN TOP CLASSIC CAR IS MAKING YOU DEAF.
You are by no means alone. Studies have shown that sustained exposure to noise above 85 decibels (DbA) has a deleterious effect on hearing – most MGB drivers or open-top sports cars with a sporty exhaust & motorcyclists are exposed to much more (90DbA at 5Omph and up to 100DbA at 90) – and just 10 minutes of 100DbA exposure is enough to inflict permanent hearing damage. Remember that sound is measured on a logarithmic scale and every 3DbA increase represents a doubling of sonic energy.
Hearing loss is beginning to be recognised as a long-term health problem for anyone exposed to long periods of high-speed wind buffeting. Loud noise has also been cited as a cause of tiredness, lapses of concentration and, believe it or not, impotence. Some crash helmets generate less noise than others and windscreens will also deflect same of the racket. In the long term, however, ear plugs are the only defence against deafness.
But which type of ear plug works best? Off-the-shelf silicone plugs are washable and durable, but they do not suit all ears and can be an awkward fit. Foam plugs are more comfortable, but they come in many different sizes and shapes and are supposed to be suitable for one use only. And there`s the rub. Few people do not bother throwing them away after each journey – and reusing them carries a risk of ear infection. If you have cauliflower ears there is another problem: plugs have to be jammed into the inner ear to stop them falling out – and that can damage the delicate structures within.
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Posted in Past Events on 28 March 2017 by Mel Baker