Loud Music from other cars

March 21, 2008 Morning Drive No Comments

I’m driving down the street when a car pulls up next to me. The guy in the car beside me is playing some kind of techno or rap music that is so loud I doubt he could hear a horn or a firetruck going down the street. I really wasn’t interested in hearing his music although it seems that he wants everyone to hear his music.

Some misconceptions about losing your hearing here:

o Loud sound is not dangerous, as long as you don’t feel any pain in your ears.

Not true: Our threshold for pain is at about 120 - 140 dB SPL but sound begins to damage our hearing when it is above 85 dB SPL (for a 8 hour period).

o Hearing loss after sound exposure is temporary.

Not true: Some of the hearing loss will be permanent. Indication of damage is ringing and noise in the ears (called tinnitus) after sound exposure. This is a clear indication that sound exposure took place. Another indication of that is the difficulty to communicate on the phone and in the noisy restaurant or cafeteria.

Checkout the website here: Digital Recordings

Some information about hearing problems here: WebMD

What do you think? Have you heard this before?