Deafness linked to loud city living: Commission

Deafness and hearing impairment cases in the country are being brought on by external factors such as iPod overuse and loud game arcades says National Commission on the Prevention of Deafness and Hearing Impairment chief Damayanti Soetjipto.   

According to some studies, she said, iPods could be harmful to users if they often listen to music through earphones at more than 80 decibels, which is equal to 60 percent of the gadget’s maximum volume.  

“The human ear is designed to hear sounds below 80 decibels,” she said.  

“People who excessively expose themselves to volumes exceeding that level may not feel a direct effect, but in five or 10 years they will start to find their hearing deteriorating.”      

Aside from urging iPod users to limit their gadget’s volume, Damayanti also told parents to restrict the amount of time their children spent in game arcades.

“Ideally,  [children] should spend no more than 90 minutes per day in game arcades,” she said.
In 2005, the World Health Organization reported that 250 million people worldwide suffered from deafness or hearing impairment, with around a half of them living in Southeast Asia.

The commission also estimated that more than 5,000 babies were born in the country every year
with varying degrees of hearing impairment.

However, not all parents are aware of this, Damayanti said.

After six months, without proper medication, there is almost nothing doctors can do to treat impairments, which can deteriorate into complete deafness in a short time.

To raise public awareness about the importance of slowing the rate of deafness and hearing impairment cases in the country, the commission and the Health Ministry and the National Commission on the Prevention of Deafness and Hearing Impairment dedicated March 3 as Ear and Hearing Appreciation Day.

“Such a campaign is important as many people in the country are unaware of the implications of deafness and how it comes about,” health minister’s expert staff Krisna Jaya said.