Parents Throw Ear-Splitting Parties for Their Kids

It's axiomatic that parents want what's best for their children.

Or at least I thought so until it was my turn to play bus driver and pick up some kids after a bat mitzvah reception last night. During the drive back one of the kids asked, "What's that ringing sound in the car?" The ringing sound was a symptom of --hopefully temporary-- hearing loss, caused by the incredibly loud music that these kids were subjected to for several hours.

Hearing loss at age 13? Something's terribly wrong with this picture. And what's wrong with it is that the parents okayed a band that played such loud music. Now it's certainly possible that the girl who was having this bat mitzvah asked for this band knowing that it was going to be playing unrelenting, painfully loud music. But even if that's the case --and it's more likely that the girl was pretty clueless as to how loud that band would be-- parents are responsible for their child's well being. (The music company that provided this band also bears responsibility for damaging the hearing of these kids.)

I don't carry a decibel meter so I can't say exactly how loud this music was. My guess is about 100 - 110 decibels. How does that compare to other sounds? I'm a private pilot and the planes I fly are so loud that, like most pilots, I wear electronic noise-canceling headphones. Every now and then I have to remove my headset for a few moments, and it's loud inside cockpit: Pilots who've flown single engine airplanes with decibel meters in hand have measured the sound level at about 105 decibels. Normal human conversation is about 60 decibels; a crying baby blasts its parents at 80 decibels; a garbage truck, 110 decibels; a chain saw at close range is 110 decibels; a shotgun produces 130 decibels.

Nine hours of exposure to 100 decibels (what you hear riding using power tools) can cause hearing loss. At 110 decibels it only takes 15 minutes for there to be hearing damage. And just a minute of exposure to sound at 110 decibels and above can cause permanent hearing loss. Occasional exposure to these high levels of sound may not always produce permanent hearing loss, but hearing loss is cumulative. The relationship between decibel level, how long the exposure is, and how often is important when it comes to hearing loss. The decibel scale is logarithmic, so a 3 decibel increase represents a doubling of sound.

Anything longer than a minute at 110 decibels is considered dangerous. Noise that's loud enough, in the 140 decibel range, can cause permanent damage in a single exposure.

How do loud noises cause hearing loss? Put simply, loud noises over time cause damage and death to the cells in the inner ear needed for hearing. I doubt that this is what any parent wants for their son or daughter.

Unfortunately, this particular party wasn't an isolated incident. I've made several pickups where the music has been so loud that I could barely tolerate being inside for half minute. If this trend continues, as it appears to be doing, then many childre will suffer permanent hearing loss before they get into college. And that's a shame, because hearing is a window just to not beautiful music, but nature's sounds -- birds, the ocean, trees rustling in the wind. Not to mention conversation.

There's a certain amount of --what's the best way to put it?-- "so whatness" when it comes to talking about kids and loud music. After all, isn't loud music a part of being a teen? Because hearing loss occurs over time, it's something that parents often just shrug their shoulders at. Though ringing in the ears, tinnitus, is a clear sign of noise-induced hearing loss that you have to bury your head in the sand to ignore. Hearing loss is out of sight, out of mind, since it's something that usually doesn't dramatically and painfully present itself, like a sunburn. But perhaps the way to look at this is to ask, "Do you give permission for your child to go to a party where they're likely to suffer hearing loss?" Few parents would say yes.

The damage is real. I'm not sure how this trend can be reversed, other than through education and coaxing from pediatricians. In the meanwhile, when your middle or high schooler goes out to a party, make sure they have protection -- ear plugs.

Ear plugs are inexpensive and even come in a variety of colors. You can Google "ear plugs" or purchase some directly the manufacturers: Hearos, Earlove and Mack's are some places to purchase hearing protection. Ear plugs can reduce the sound level by 20 - 33 decibels, depending on the brand; that's enough to make a difference between just loud and hearing damage.

For further reading: Dangers Decibels and Noise-Induced Hearing Loss by Peter Rabinowitz, MD.