Hearing Protection

[usabear]

Thanks to Sal for providing this reference in another thread. It's something we probably don't usually pay enough attention to.

EAR PLUGS & RIDING

by Dr. Mike Coley, Norton Riders Collective

I love motorcycles. I began riding at about age eleven and was reading about them before that. And like most everyone else I gave little consideration to what the noise associated with riding might be doing to my hearing or what I might be able to do about it. As I got older (that is I got my driver’s license) I found myself gravitating toward more road riding. And with more years came more and more road riding, including long distance touring instead of the dirt riding I‘d been doing as a kid. I continued to read just about every publication printed about bikes, but I spent more and more time reading about touring and road riding, and just how to do this better, and safer.

In my mid-twenties I decided that helmets were actually a good idea and started using one routinely, but hearing protection was only something I had read about. But as my riding began to include more and more time on highways I decided to try using ear plugs. I grew-up believing that a good rider needs to be able to hear the engine, and the surrounding traffic. And I must admit that the first time I tried ear plugs I was not overly impressed. They were the wax variety which were effective in blocking the noise, but not very comfortable to wear. But as I got used to them the more I wanted to use them. I found myself feeling less tired at the end of a long ride, and the truth is at highway speeds about the only thing I was hearing was the wind anyway.

Ear plugs became a routine part of my riding gear for any type of riding other than that done in town. I thought then, and still do now, that in town I want to hear everything going on around me-my engine, car tires, car engines, sirens, etc. I also stumbled across a type of foam plug that worked as well as the wax ones in reducing noise, but was much more convenient to insert and more comfortable to wear. A type that I still use to this day.

Over the next few years in addition to reading about and riding motorcycles, I was reading about and learning how to become an ear, nose, and throat surgeon. It was during my medical training and subsequent years in practice that I became aware of just how easy it is to damage our hearing. And unfortunately, damage that is noise induced is usually permanent and can only be treated by the use of hearing aids.

The actual hearing apparatus of the ear looks like a snail’s shell, and is found inside the skull in what‘s called the inner ear along with our balance apparatus. Inside of this snail’s shell (cochlea) are millions of cells with what look like tiny hairs sticking out of them. It is the hair cells that become damaged with noise exposure. The most frequent kind of noise induced damage is that which occurs over a long period of time, like factory work. All of us know people that have had exposure to noise and have trouble hearing. The progression of this kind of hearing loss is usually very, very slow, and with the high pitches being affected first. Initially, this is so mild and in frequencies that we seldom use, that the individual his/herself is unaware they are having a problem. But with continued exposure more and more of the hair cells become damaged and the hearing loss worsens and creeps into lower frequencies. This usually manifests as trouble understanding conversation if there is any significant background noise, like at a party or in a crowd of people. Often watching TV is a problem. Either they need the TV much louder than other family members would like, or they have trouble understanding what’s being said. The person knows people are talking, but just can’t quite make out the words. They also do better when they are talking one-on-one, or with people with deeper voices.

Now how does all this tie into riding motorcycles? Well, we all know that there is a lot of wind noise when we ride at speeds of about fifty miles per hour or more. And for those of us who ride with little or no fairing or windshield this noise can be pretty loud. Exposure to this degree of noise will cause damage to those hair cells that are located in the hearing portion of our ears. This is not a “maybe will cause“, but is a “it will cause“ situation. How much damage and how long before enough damage is done before we notice is unpredictable. Some people are much more susceptible than others and may sustain damage much, much sooner than someone else exposed to the same conditions. And this is where ear plugs will help. I’ve focused on wind noise, but any relatively loud noise will do the same thing-loud exhaust systems, hammering, power tools, lawn mowers (yes including the new quiet ones), weed eaters, and on and on.

The use of ear plugs will certainly lower the volume of the noise you are exposed to, but surprisingly will aid your hearing to some degree at freeway speeds. The frequency (pitch) of the wind noise is very effectively muted while lower frequencies much less so. Now don’t get me wrong, you’re not going to put in ear plugs and go out for a ride and find no wind noise, but the wonderful mechanical and exhaust sounds unaffected. But, what you will find is that you’ll still be able to hear the engine well enough to gauge engine speed or telltale signs of a problem. You’ll also be surprised just how tiring the wind noise had been and how much less fatigue there will be after a ride.

I routinely ride with a half dozen other people who rarely if ever used ear plugs until I started riding with them. Five of the six now routinely use them, and the sixth does when he thinks about it. Each of my friends already has some degree of hearing loss and each thought what difference will wearing ear plugs make if I already have trouble hearing. Beside being less tired at the end of a ride, by using plugs they are protecting what hearing they have left. The damage that has already been done is permanent, but if a person does not protect what hearing they have, further damage will occur. Whatever loss you presently have will worsen if you continue to subject yourself to loud noise.

I’m frequently asked what style or brand of ear plug is the best, and how much do they cost. Effective plugs will cost as little as about $1.50 per pair, or as much as $100.00 for custom made versions. For years now I’ve used EAR brand foam ear plugs. These are the yellow foam barrel shaped ones that you roll between your fingers to compress them and then insert into your ear canal. In a few seconds they expand to fill the canal. I’ve found these to be cheap (in the $1.50 per pair range), reusable, comfortable, and effective. There are literally dozens of different types, so my suggestion is to try a pair of your choosing and if they are not what you want, try a different kind. My friends all use slightly different type. Five friends, five different types of plugs. The secret is not so much what type or brand, but rather their routine use.

Whether or not a rider chooses to use ear plugs is obviously a personal decision. But as a long time rider whose owned some forty or fifty motorcycles over the years (including: Ducati, Harley-Davidson, BMW, British Iron, and all brands Japanese); and as a physician specializing in diseases and treatment of the ear, I strongly recommend their use.

Your hearing is like your eyesight, protect what you’ve got because you only get one pair.
NOTE:
Be sure to check your local laws as they pertain to wearing earplugs while riding.

[Frog]

Motorcyclists
Motorcyclists are constantly exposed to high levels of noise caused predominantly by the wind. Measurements made by the Occupational Health & Safety Service of the Dutch Government showed that at 50mph the sound level under the helmet was 90 decibels.

Speed has a significant effect on the sound level and for each 12 mph increase in speed, the intensity of sound is doubled. This means that at just over 60mph, the motorcyclist is exposed to approximately the same sound levels as a circular saw operator who would not be allowed by law to operate this equipment without mandatory use of hearing protection.


How much noise can a person tolerate?
The strength of a sound is determined by the pressure of the sound waves and is expressed in decibels: dB(A). dB(A) measurements are corrected to the sensitivity of the human ear. The quietest audible sound is 0dB(A). The threshold of pain is at 120 dB(A)


Sound pressure
Each time the sound level is increased by 3dB, the intensity of that sound is doubled (i.e., it is twice as loud). Each time you double the sound intensity, the safe listening time is halved. The louder the sound, the sooner the chance of permanent hearing damage.

[Frog]

Tinnitus

Published by BUPA's Health Information Team
October 2003
Tinnitus is the sensation of a sound in the ear or head that is not being produced by an external source. The sound can be of any pitch or type, continuous or intermittent. There are many different disorders that can produce such symptoms.
It is quite common to have mild tinnitus, and around one in five people report they are occasionally affected. Around one in 200 people has tinnitus so badly that it affects their ability to lead a normal life.
Symptoms of tinnitus

The sensation of tinnitus is the sound of high-pitched whistling or buzzing, ringing or hissing. It can also be a quite complex sound, like the roar of an ocean. The sounds may be constant or come and go.
Whatever the cause of the tinnitus, it is almost always made worse by stress, which can be physical, emotional or psychological. Some people can clearly hear the sound of their tinnitus and are able to live with it quite happily. In others, the sound is terribly annoying and can often drive them to distraction. The sound can be in one or both ears, or perceived elsewhere in the head. It is equally common in men and women and can be associated with almost any disorder of the ear.

Cross section of the ear
Causes and risk factors for tinnitus

Most tinnitus is caused by a problem with the "sensorineural" system, which is involved in transmitting signals from the inner ear to the brain. Tinnitus is often associated with hearing loss. For this reason it is more common in older people who have age-related hearing loss.
Exposure to loud noise at work may also be responsible. For instance, operators of pneumatic drills, workers in noisy factories, musicians and DJs may be at particular risk. Other possible causes of tinnitus are listed below.

• Ménière's disease, which results from an increased pressure in the inner ear and also causes deafness and vertigo
• otosclerosis, a condition in which the small bones of the middle ear become immobile
• ear infections and inflammation
• wax in the ear
• otitis media with effusion (an ear infection often known as 'glue ear' in children)
• acoustic neuroma, a benign (non-cancerous) tumour of the auditory nerve, which carries signals from the inner ear to the brain
• high doses of drugs including aspirin, quinine and some antibiotics
• anaemia
• head injury
• low thyroid hormone levels (hypothyroidism)
• disorders of the heart and blood vessels, particularly in the head
• high blood pressure
• an autoimmune disorder, such as lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus)
• problems with the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) - the joint between the jaws, which can also lead to pain in the head or face
• an abnormality of the Eustachian tube, that can result in a wooshing sound

Diagnosis

The type of sound heard with the tinnitus does not necessarily indicate what the underlying cause might be, nor whether the cause is serious or trivial. You will be carefully examined by a specialist, usually an ENT (ear, nose and throat) surgeon or an audiological physician (doctor specialising in hearing).
He or she will take account of your symptoms and may perform a number of tests, which include hearing tests, balance tests and blood tests.
If the doctor feels that a further investigation of the inner parts of the ear is required, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of your head may be organised.
Treatment

Any underlying disorder, such as an ear infection, acoustic neuroma or Ménière's disease, must be treated appropriately.
People with chronic tinnitus without an easily treatable cause, are encouraged not to listen for their tinnitus and aim to concentrate on other things.
If the hearing is impaired, wearing a hearing aid often helps by "masking out" the problem sound with the amplified external signal. In much the same way, special devices (that look like hearing aids) are used as part of tinnitus retraining treatment. These produce particular sounds to mask out the noise of the tinnitus which is accompanied with training to help block out the annoying aspects of tinnitus.
The psychological attitude that you have towards your tinnitus is crucial and people with a positive attitude to dealing with it tend to find it more manageable.
Depression or anxiety can make tinnitus more of a problem and treatment of these conditions may help bring some relief. A range of other treatments including dietary supplements, electromagnetic stimulation and medicines (including antiepileptics and anti-sickness drugs) have been tried, but their effectiveness has not be proven.
Complementary therapy

Any therapy that promotes relaxation and a sense of wellbeing may be useful in relieving tinnitus or the distress it causes. Techniques include yoga, the Alexander technique, meditation, hypnosis and acupuncture. The herbal remedy ginkgo biloba is promoted as a cure for tinnitus but good-quality scientific studies have shown it does not work any better than a placebo (dummy treatment).
Further information

British Tinnitus Association
0800 018 0527
http://www.tinnitus.org.uk

[devil-uk]

i use EAR foam plugs too tho my hearing is damaged due to years of riding without,in noisy area etc, tried many types of plugs but find the EAR foam barrel ones best and even after 5hrs ride still comftable,i get free from work but would still buy em as need to keep what poor hearing i have left

[little_dave]

I use them as well, I used to get them issued in the college, in the fabrication shop and I brought a few home, they're easy to wash and reuse and they're great at rallies as well, when the rock bands start up, stick 'em in your lugs and you can hear people talk and your ears don't hurt from loud music!