Community Magazine December 2012

They are the highlights of our social calendar. The weddings or bar mitzvahs of relatives and friends are a time for us to share in the happy occasion of somebody we love, enjoying some laughs, song and dance, and fine food and drinks. It is perhaps no exaggeration to say that community semahot (happy occasions) are the very backbone of social life in the Orthodox Jewish community, the place where meaningful friendships are forged and cultivated and where some of life’s most beautiful memories are created. Certainly, we are also aware of the pitfalls of semahot . Our financial advisors warn against overspending when making an affair or purchasing gifts; our dieticians warn about overeating. And of course we need to be careful on the dance floor. But there is one occupational hazard of semahot that might not be receiving the attention it deserves – the effects of loud music on our ears. As amplification systems have become more advanced, orchestras and DJ’s have been raising the volume at our bar mitzvahs, engagement parties, weddings and other venues, knowing that high volume creates high energy and greater excitement. In light of the frequency (no pun intended…) with which many of us, baruch Hashem , attend such celebrations (may there be many more!!), the effects of this exposure to loud music need to be considered. Preventable Hearing Loss According to Dangerous Decibels, a project of the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, approximately 40 million Americans suffer from hearing loss, and a staggering 10 million of these cases are the result of noise induced hearing loss, known as NIHL. Alarming statistics from the National Institute of Health show that 15 percent of Americans between the ages of 20 and 69 experience high frequency hearing loss as a result of occupational or leisurely activities. While government regulations are in place regulating the decibel levels in noisy workplaces, such as construction sites and factories, no such regulations apply to simha orchestras or to teens listening to their iPods. Loud noise overstimulates the tiny hair cells in the cochlea, or inner ear. These cells are responsible for transmitting the sound waves to the brain, which interprets the waves as sound. Damaged cells cannot function properly, thus impairing the auditory mechanism. To date, medical science is unable to repair damaged hair cells, and thus noise-induced damage is irreversible. Unfortunately, and contrary to common misconception, damage to the ear can occur without pain. The average person’s pain threshold for noise is approximately 120-140 decibels, whereas damage can be caused by prolonged, sustained exposure to 85 decibels – the noise level of midday city traffic. This means that your ears could be sustaining damage at a wedding even if you are enjoying the lively music and having the time of your life. The fact that you find the amplification tolerable, or even pleasurable, does not mean you are safe. So just how loud is too loud? TheNational Institute forOccupational Safety andHealth (NIOSH), a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has issued guidelines outlining the maximum allowed exposure time for different decibel levels. Noise below 85 decibels is generally considered safe even for sustained, long-term exposure. This includes the humming of a refrigerator (40 decibels), bird chirping (50 decibels), a normal conversational voice (60 decibels), the noise of a typical vacuum cleaner (70 decibels), and a crowded restaurant (80 decibels). At 85 decibels – which, as mentioned, is the noise level of heavy city traffic – damage can begin to occur after eight hours of sustained exposure. Recommended exposure limits begin to drop drastically at decibel levels above 85, and a volume of 100 decibels is considered harmful after just 15 minutes of exposure. A single exposure to very high sound levels, exceeding 124 decibels, will cause permanent hearing loss (known as acoustic trauma). Our Are Parties Destroying Hearing? DAVID MIZRAHI 32 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE