I wish I had been wearing earplugs

Details

• Personal Author:
  Fink D ; Howard J ; Pollard D
• Description:
  I am a 67-year-old, semiretired doctor. about nine years ago, I developed tinnitus and hyperacusis after a one-time exposure to loud noise on New Year's Eve. We were in a restaurant. As midnight approached, the music kept getting cranked up louder and louder. My wife could tell that I was uncomfortable and suggested we leave, but I didn't want to offend our friends who had made the arrangements. I wish I had listened to her. I wish I had been wearing earplugs. We left as soon after midnight as was socially acceptable, but it was too late. My ears were ringing when we did, and the ringing never stopped. Loud noise began to bother me, too. For eight years I suffered silently, but after reading an article about hyperacusis (heightened sensitivity to loud sounds) in late 2014, I became an advocate for quiet. Noise isn't just a nuisance; it causes hearing loss and other health problems. The World Health Organization estimates that 1.1 billion people are at risk for hearing loss. Numerous research papers have shown an association between untreated hearing loss and various serious health conditions, including dementia, depression, and falls. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Ear Hearing Hearing Loss Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced Occupational Health Protective Clothing Safety Sense Organs
• Keywords:
  Ear Protection Ear Protectors Ears Hearing Conservation Hearing Disorders Hearing Impairment Hearing Loss Hearing Loss Prevention Hearing Protection Tinnitus
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; District of Columbia ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  OD - Office of the Director
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  22-23
• Volume:
  32
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20049180
• Citation:
  Hear Health 2016 Jun; 32(3):22-23
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2016
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  Hearing Health
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:ae7a1be7d0527160fb9de76575d9f73c38c41d54f92c74f1583ae7eff3e999760d92c474a55a772572a5a2a389bb3005182224f5eb350cf31ff678a4e2784fd1
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/203719/cdc_203719_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.13 MB ]