Notes Presentation
Transcript: Notes Presentation Cicadas After 17 years of living and feeding underground, billions of Brood II periodical cicadas have emerged and are filling the air with the strange sound of their mating calls. Male cicadas use drum-like structures on their abdomen called tymbals to create a loud, high-pitched buzz to attract female companions, who respond with a quick flick of their wings together. This mating call and response, which sounds to some like the whining of electrical wires rising and falling, can reach over 90 decibels. Within a short period of time, the cicadas will mate, and the females will bury their eggs underground before dying. Cicadas don't bite, but if the noise bothers you when you're outdoors, wear hearing protectors, such as earplugs or earmuffs. New york Noise loud concerts Have you ever experienced ringing in your ears after you've attended a loud concert? Coldplay singer and rhythm guitarist Chris Martin has some good advice for you: Be sure to wear hearing protection. Martin recently revealed that he has tinnitus. Tinnitus (you can say it 2 ways: "tuh-NIGHT-us" or "TIN-uh-tus") is a feeling of ringing, roaring, clicking, hissing, or buzzing in your ears. It is often caused by exposing your ears to too much loud noise. Martin started playing in a band while in middle school. As you may know, the band he later formed, Coldplay, went on to become world famous. By the time Martin was 25 years old, though, he had begun to experience headaches and ringing in his ears. Doctors warned him that his music career might be over if he didn’t protect his ears, so he now wears hearing protection when he plays with the band and attends concerts. "Looking after your ears is unfortunately something you don't think about until there's a problem. I wish I'd thought about it earlier," Martin said in an interview with the Daily Mirror. Martin isn't making the same mistake with his own young children, who have been photographed many times wearing hearing protection at concerts. For more information on musicians and hearing problems, read Musicians can be at risk for noise-induced hearing loss, whether they play the violin or an electric guitar. Working As A Referee A recent study claims that more than eight in 10 New Yorkers are exposed to enough noise to damage their hearing. Richard Neitzel, Ph.D., an environmental health sciences researcher at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues say that city dwellers may be particularly at risk for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) because they are exposed to high levels of noise throughout the day. Noisy activities in the city include attending sporting events, concerts, and even riding the subway. The researchers report that noise levels in New York’s subway system can exceed 100 decibels. Science tells us that regular exposure to sounds above 85 decibels can lead to permanent hearing loss. There have been reports that New York City is planning a campaign to increase public awareness about preventing hearing loss from excess noise exposure. Working as a sports official, or referee, is a noisy job. In fact, a recent study suggests that referees who use whistles are more likely to suffer from symptoms of noise-induced hearing loss compared to people in a similar age group in the general population. Whistles commonly used by referees can be as loud as 106 decibels, and science tells us that regular exposure, even briefly, to sounds above 85 decibels can lead to permanent hearing loss. Nearly half of the referees who participated in the survey reported ringing in their ears after a game, which is a symptom of damage to sensitive inner ear sensory cells that can lead to noise-induced hearing loss. The findings were published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. Gordon B. Hughes, M.D., program director for clinical trials at the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders at the National Institutes of Health, has first-person experience of the perils of loud whistles acting as a referee at club soccer matches. "Everyone on the field needs to hear the whistle, so I would blow it hard," says Dr. Hughes. "No matter how brief the sound was, it would hurt my ears every time. That’s a warning that the sound is too loud and potentially harmful." So what can referees do to protect their hearing? Dr. Hughes suggests using "vented" ear molds. "They are custom-fitted to the ear canal and reduce sound by up to 25 decibels," he says. "That reduction will let referees perform their duty while protecting their ears all day." According to Dr. Hughes, an audiologist or hearing aid professional can make the canal impressions in a 20-minute office visit, and then mail the molds directly to the individual when they're ready. Whistles aren't the only things making loud noises at sporting events, however. Cheering fans, marching bands, or other signaling devices such as starter pistols, add to the cacophony. So, whether you're a
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