Back to Healthy Influence PageHow does long-term exposure to excessively loud music cause hearing loss? Basically, hearing loss occurs when the tiny hair cells in the inner ear are blasted away from repeated exposure to loud music. Our ears contain microscopic hairs as a fringe on the ends of auditory cells in the inner ear. When healthy, these hairs move in response to the pressure of sounds that vibrate the eardrum. This movement leads to chemical changes that in turn produce small electrical signals. The electrical signals excite nerve cells in each of the some 30,000 fibers that spiral away from the cochlea, a snail-shaped and fluid-filled structure in the inner ear. This spiral of fibers fuses together to form the auditory nerve and carries stimulation from the ear to the brain, where sound is perceived. Continued or repeated exposure to loud music can damage the tiny hairs, leaving them twisted, bent, fused, and no longer able to respond properly to sonic vibrations. Where there are no healthy hairs, erect and swaying to each sound that travels to the ear, there will be no stimulus to the brain from that particular nerve, and perhaps nothing more to be heard (Bahadori & Bohne, 1993). The ear's ability to hear sound is degraded even when only a relatively small number of hairs are damaged. There has been some research into microscopic hair cell regeneration in the ear, but unfortunately, the damage to the hair cells and the resulting loss of hearing appear to be permanent (Bahadori & Bohne, 1993).
Our ears can distinguish a wide spectrum of sound intensities roughly equivalent to the lowest note on a pipe organ to the highest overtone on a violin. Because humans can perceive such a wide spectrum of acoustic energy, the units for measuring sound intensities are compressed using a logarithmic scale (based on the powers of 10) on which the sound intensity multiplies by ten every 10 decibel (dB) increase (Bruel, 1984). For example, the sound of a rock concert, approximately 120 dB, would have 1,000 times the intensity of a motorcycle (90 dB).
Hearing loss is determined by the amount of noise and the length of exposure; one can experience hearing loss or damage if there is a one-time exposure to a loud noise, repeated or long exposure to noise, or extended exposure to moderate noise (Bahadori & Bohne, 1993). In 1970, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) developed a scale indicating the length of time a person could listen to a given dB sound level before experiencing hearing loss or damage. OSHA regulations permit exposure to 80 dB or less for eight hours a day, 95 dB for four hours a day, 100 dB for two hours, 105 dB for one hour, 110 dB for a half an hour, and 115 dB for less than 15 minutes. The National Association for Hearing and Speech Action (NAHSA) also reports that exposure to 85 dB or more for any length of time is potentially dangerous (Klein, 1992).
Rock concerts expose most audience members to 120 dB of sound, and often last longer than two hours - imagine the extent of damage to the hearing of audiences members not wearing ear protection! NAHSA reports that anyone exposed to more than 10 rock concerts without proper ear protection (such as ear plugs) is likely to develop hearing loss (Klein, 1992).
Headphones, or personal stereos can be especially hazardous to one's hearing. Generally, people listen to headphones in places where the noise level is already considerably high, turning the volume up in order to block out the background noise. Most headphones can amplify music to as high as 110 dB, well within the range of dangerous sounds as defined by OSHA (Klein, 1992).
Car stereos can be equally dangerous, peaking between 105 to 120 dB, while the sound levels in bars and dance clubs can reach 130 dB or more. The British Journal of Audiology suggests that exposure to excessively loud music in enclosed spaces (such as clubs or automobiles) can produce hearing loss or damage similar to that of war veterans who were exposed to heavy artillery (West & Evans, 1990).
The two most common types of hearing disorders associated with exposure to loud music are sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus (Fearne, 1972). Sensorineural hearing loss directly affects the cochlea or the nerve pathways from the inner ear to the brain. A person with sensorineural hearing loss may hear voices clearly, but might have trouble understanding what the voices are saying. Words such as "laugh" and "bath" or "cake" and "bake" would start to sound alike. Someone with this type of loss might also speak loudly because their own voice sounds unusually soft to them. Sensorineural hearing loss is also characterized by a difficulty in distinguishing high and low tones, or pitch distortion. Pitch distortion can be especially detrimental to singers and musicians, whose livelihood depends on their ability to hear (Fearne, 1972).
Tinnitus, a ringing sensation in the ears, is a very common and early felt condition associated with long-term exposure to loud music. The duration of tinnitus depends on the severity of the damage to the inner ear. This condition may be episodic at first, disappearing after a few hours or a few days, but it can evolve into a permanent condition with repeated exposure to loud music. Tinnitus can occur in one ear, both, or may be perceived as occurring somewhere else inside the head. The persistent ringing sensation associated with tinnitus can negatively affect one's ability to sleep, concentrate, understand conversations, or locate sounds (Fearne, 1972).
While excessive noise is primarily associated with hearing loss or hearing disorders, whatever sound enters the ear often affects the rest of the body. When the body registers noise or loud music, all body parts stand alert; blood pressure rises, heart rate and breathing speed up, muscles tense, hormones are released into the bloodstream, and perspiration appears (Whitefield, 1984). It appears that the body reacts to loud noise as it does to other types of stress.
The heart receives the most stress from loud noise. Loud music can cause blood vessels to change in size (vasoconstriction),
impending normal blood flow. Loud music can also produce a significant rise in blood pressure as well as an increase in cholesterol and triglycerides, which are known to create blockage in blood vessels (Whitefield, 1984).
The digestive tract also suffers from noise stress. Loud music can cause an excess of hydrochloric acid to be produced in the stomach, causing ulcers (for some people). Loud music may also cause spasms along the intestines, leading to diarrhea and irregularity - a condition often described by rock musicians and sound technicians as "disco dumb" (Rabid, 1990).
The respiratory system remains reasonably unaffected by excessively loud music. However, the reproductive system can become greatly influenced by noise induced hormonal output. In men, research indicates that loud music can increase sexual drive while diminish sexual potency. In pregnant women, excessive noise may alter the rate and form of fetal development (Whitefield, 1984).
Another hazard of loud music is a distressed immunological system. Research indicates that agents in our immune system - such as eosinophils, the white blood cells which fend off allergies, and gamma globulin, a plasma protein that fights various diseases - become scarce when the body is subjected to high noise levels (Rabid, 1990).
Psychological effects range from irritability, tension, and insomnia to symptoms as severe as epilepsy. Loud music can also produce irregular amounts of chemicals in the brain (West, 1990). It appears that exposure to loud music can lead to irreversible hearing loss, hearing disorders such as tinnitus or hyperacusis (extremely sensitive hearing), and can negatively affect certain life-functioning systems of the human body. To prevent these and other noise-related afflictions, one can simply avoid loud music, turn down the volume level, or wear hearing protection devices such as earplugs. Earplugs can be directly inserted into the ear canal, and are available in different materials, including foam, rubber, wax, and fine mineral fibers. If worn correctly, hearing protection devices can reduce sound levels by 15 to 35 dBs. Protecting one's hearing or preventing hearing loss may seem like an intelligent, responsible thing to do, but unfortunately, many people are unaware of, or unconcerned about the potential damage to their hearing. One such person is my brother, Hardy.
Hardy is an audiophile and musician who enjoys listening to, and playing music at considerably high volume levels. I have been concerned about the potential damage to his hearing for a long time, and therefore, have chosen him to be the subject of my healthy influence intervention project.
Hardy is exposed to music on a daily basis; he enjoys listening to music in the morning, while driving, during work, and before falling asleep. As an accomplished musician, he often practices his bass guitar and plays live shows with his band. He attends music concerts regularly, and frequents bars and clubs where music plays loudly in the background.
What is interesting about Hardy is that he is a highly intelligent person; he is aware of the potential risks involved with listening to loud music for extended periods of time, but stubbornly chooses to ignore them. He refuses to wear any type of ear protection, arguing that earplugs significantly reduce the quality of music (especially live music), and that most of the research concerning the potential dangers of loud music have been exaggerated, or are untrue.
Hardy's hearing has already degenerated as he sometimes has difficulty understanding conversations, interjecting phrases such as "What did you say?" or "Speak up!" or "Stop mumbling!" He denies that he has a hearing problem, and often becomes defensive whenever I try to discuss the possible damage to his hearing. He refuses to read about hearing loss and loud music, arguing that most of the literature and research is unreliable. His attitude, therefore, about the "written facts" of hearing loss is very biased.
All of my attempts to educate Hardy about the risks involved with repeated or prolonged exposure to loud music have proven unsuccessful. I would like to persuade my brother to wear ear protection when necessary, and to practice safer listening behaviors.
I have decided to use the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) theory of persuasion to enable Hardy to change is attitude about the possibility of losing his hearing. The ELM explains that people are generally in one of two modes of thinking; passive, low elaboration thinking, or perusive, high elaboration thinking. The mode of thinking a person is in will determine how the persuasion process will work. Someone who is engaged in high elaboration thinking can be persuaded using the central route process of persuasion in which arguments, or information that bears on the central merits of the attitude object (which in this case is hearing loss and loud music) are used. Because my brother is unwilling to seriously consider the arguments involved with hearing loss and loud music, I have chosen to use the peripheral route process of persuasion, in which cues, or information that can influence without much thinking, are used. The peripheral route process of persuasion is used to persuade someone who is in a low elaboration mode of thinking. People are often engaged in low elaboration thinking - even intelligent people like my brother. My strategy is to use the CLARCCS cues of comparison, liking, and authority to move my brother into the contemplation stage of change, and then into the preparation stage. Before his next live show, I plan to give a pair of earplugs to him and to everyone else in his band. I am expecting a group effect to occur; if the other members of the band agree to wear the earplugs, perhaps my brother will too. Providing earplugs as a comparison cue may lead to a consistent us of the earplugs by everyone in the band.
I plan to use the liking cue by presenting to Hardy some information concerning the hearing loss of musicians whom he admires. I have compiled magazine articles and videotaped interviews of musicians such as Neil Young, Pete Townsend, and Bob Mould - all of whom have suffered from hearing loss or damage. Much of the information I plan to share with him is very compelling, especially the videotaped interview with Bob Mould. Mould, who has played live shows as loud as 130 dBs (!), has lost 20% of his hearing in his left ear, and as a result, must sleep with the television on full volume to subdue the ringing tinnitus in his right ear. I expect the videotaped interviews to have a particularly strong effect on my bother's attitude toward hearing loss and loud music.
I have recently become aware of a simple hearing test that can be performed over the telephone. This phone-in hearing test, sponsored by the National Association of Hearing and Speech Action, assesses the extent of damage to one's hearing, and suggests ways to protect the ears from further damage. This test may serve as an authority cue that may persuade my brother to reconsider, or at
least think more seriously about the risks involved with repeated or prolonged exposure to loud music.
I believe that by using the CLARCCS cues of comparison, liking, and authority, my brother's attitude will significantly change; he will move from the precontemplation stage into the preparation stage, where he will have the opportunity to practice safer listening behaviors.
comparison, liking, and authority to change Hardy's attitude toward loud music came about during my spring break vacation in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where I visited my brother.
The day I arrived in Chapel Hill, I met Hardy at a recording studio where he and his band were practicing for a show later that evening. When I arrived at the recording studio, I greeted everyone and decided to listen to the band practice for a while. As soon as they began to play, I immediately pulled out from my coat pocket a pair of foam and rubber earplugs. I wanted to attract the band's attention as to what I was doing, so I began to experiment with the earplugs, inserting a different pair in my ears as if I was trying to determine which pair was the best. My behavior soon became too much of a distraction to the band. They stopped playing their instruments, and my brother asked me what I was doing.
I explained to Hardy that while I was home in Charleston, West Virginia, he had received in the mail a complementary package of earplugs from Bass Player Magazine for re newing his subscription. I immediately ran out to my car, and returned with a large package of earplugs. I explained that these were "special" earplugs, designed for optimum comfort and sound quality. He looker closely at the package and said, "That's right! Now I remember - I've been expecting these." Fortunately, he was not aware that I had purchased the package of earplugs myself, or that I had invented the entire story as part of my strategy to persuade him and his band to wear ear protection while practicing and during live shows. Once I had the band's attention, I suggested that the they experiment with the earplugs while practicing to decide which pair was the best. The band was receptive to my idea. Hardy seemed a bit skeptical at first, but agreed to wear they earplugs after observing the band's enthusiasm and interest.
When the band finished practicing, I was surprised by some of the comments I heard such as "These are great!" or "These are cool, Hardy!" Hardy even commented that his ears were not ringing as they usually did after practicing. I immediately took advantage of the situation and suggested that they wear the earplugs during their show later that evening - and they did!
Using the CLARCCS cue of comparison proved to be an effective means of convincing Hardy and his band to practice safer listening behaviors. My persuasion strategy worked; everyone - including my bother - agreed to wear the earplugs after observing each other's behavior. A group effect had occurred.
It was interesting too, the way Hardy attributed the idea of the wearing earplugs to himself. He believed that he had received in the mail the complementary package of earplugs as a result of renewing his yearly subscription to Bass Player Magazine. By extension, he assumed that it was originally his idea to wear the earplugs (and not mine). This idea was reinforced after hearing the positive feedback from the band members; "These are cool, Hardy."
My suggestion that the band experiment with the earplugs was a "foot in the door" strategy because after the band finished practicing, the agreed with my second request to wear the earplugs during their evening show. Consequently, the band continues to wear ear protection while practicing and performing live shows. My next persuasion strategy was to use the CLARCCS cue of liking to positively influence Hardy's attitude. I brought with me to Chapel Hill videotapes and magazine articles of musicians such as Neil Young, Thurston Moore, Pete Townsend, and Bob Mould - all of whom have suffered from hearing loss or damage. The videotapes and magazine articles were to function as liking cues to persuade my brother to reconsider the risks involved with exposure to loud music. I expected the videotapes to have a particularly strong effect on his attitude because he greatly admires, and has been influenced by Neil Young, Pete Townsend, and Bob Mould.
Hardy agreed to watch the videotapes with me. I was concerned that he was suspicious of my intentions with the videotapes because he fast-forwarded through the first videotape, and then through twenty minutes of the second. He seemed uninterested in watching them - until the Neil Young and Bob Mould interviews. From that moment on, he watched without any distractions. His concentration seemed to intensify. I could tell by his nervous finger tapping and facial expressions that he was seriously thinking about the videotapes. When he was finished watching them, he sat silently in his chair for several minutes, and then began to read an article about Pete Townsend which I had placed on the coffee table.
To my surprise, what I had initially thought to be a peripheral route persuasion strategy had functioned more as a central route persuasion strategy. Hardy was engaged in elaborative thinking after viewing the videotapes; he had moved from a "low watt" to a "high watt" cognitive state. I could tell that the information presented in the videotapes and magazine articles had significantly effected my brother's attitude because Hardy internalizes his thoughts, feelings, and emotions when he is confronted with information that is contradictory to, or inconsistent with his own beliefs. His response coincides with the Theory of Consistency and Dissonance in that the information presented in the videotapes and magazine articles produced in him feelings of stress and uneasiness - or dissonance. According to the theory, to relieve the dissonance, he must adopt a more positive attitude toward the risks involved with repeated or prolonged exposure to loud music. Based on my observations, I am confident that my bother has changed his attitude for the better.
My final strategy was to convince Hardy to try a phone-in hearing test sponsored by the N ational Association of Hearing and Speech Action. The phone-in hearing test would serve as an authority cue to persuade my brother to acknowledge the possible damage to his hearing as well as further contemplate the risks involved with repeated or prolonged exposure to loud music. During my last day in Chapel Hill, I shared with Hardy my concern about his hearing, and suggested that he try the phone-in hearing test because it was simple, free, and offered valuable advice on hearing loss. Unfortunately, he was offended by my forthrightness, and immediately refused to try the hearing test. I decided not to argue with him for fear of ruining what I had accomplished in my previous strategies. Instead, I left the phone number for the hearing test on his refrigerator door. Perhaps some day he will try it.
With the exception of my last experience, using persuasion theory and research for my healthy influence intervention project proved to be an effective means of persuading Hardy to reconsider the risks involved with exposure to loud music. His attitude has significantly changed for the better. To my knowledge, he continues to practice safer listening behaviors by wearing hearing protection devices while playing with his band, and while attending music concerts. He listens to music less frequently, and at softer volume levels. Perhaps the most surprising change is that he is more accepting of the "written facts" about hearing loss and loud music. His change in attitude indicates to me that he has successfully moved from the precontemplation stage of change into the action stage of change. Whether or not he will internalize his new behavior and advance into the habit stage of change remains to be seen. Nevertheless, I am pleased with my brother's progress.
My healthy influence intervention project was a very challenging, yet worthwhile experience. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to bring about a positive change in my brother's life! If I could repeat my project, I would like to integrate both arguments and cues into my persuasion strategies. The failed success of my last persuasion strategy in which I used the phone-in hearing test as an authority cue was in large part due to my poor timing. The next time, I would allow more time to implement my strategies instead of a week-long vacation. Perhaps using a different authority cue, such as a videotaped interview with a hearing specialist, would have been more appropriate as well.
Bruel, Kjaer J. (1984). Measuring sound. British Journal of Audiology, 10, 45-51.
Fearne, R. W. (1976). Hearing Loss caused by different exposures to amplified music. British Journal of Sound and Vibration, 37, 454-458.
Klein, Larry H. (1992). It's a matter of hear today, gone tomorrow. Electronics Now, 63, 94-96.
Rabid, Jack M. (1990). The effects of loud music on musicians. The Big Takeover, 14, 33-37.
West, Brian D., & Evans, Edward F. (1990). Detection of hearing damage in listeners resulting from exposure to amplified music. British Journal of Audiology, 24, 89-103.
Whitefield, Philip M. (1984). Hearing, taste, and smell: Pathways of perception. New York, NY: Torstar Books.
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