All that glass in modern buildings and trendy wooden floors in many cafes and bars amplify the din for anyone suffering a hearing impairment - and increase the likelihood of others getting a similar ailment.

This week is Deafness Awareness Week.

Lorraine Shirley, a hearing therapist employed by Life Unlimited based at the Tauranga Hearing Association in Edgecumbe Rd, quotes ACC figures showing that noise-induced hearing loss claims are nearing $40 million a year - and are rising.

"Noise levels should be treated as the same threat to health as smoking," she said.

"As part of Deafness Awareness Week, the message must get out about toxic noise."

She has clients who suffer at work, including school teachers who have to shout to be heard above a rowdy classroom.

"Noise-induced hearing loss is caused by damage to the nerves and cannot be corrected," she warned.

"We need to make people aware that hearing loss is not just an old age ailment."

And in some cases of hearing loss, the problem is not solved by buying a hearing aid, she said.

Depending on the technology employed - and the price paid, which ranges from $1000 to $3000 - hearings aids can amplify all noise, delivering a blast of bedlam to the ear in places such as bars.

Also, some people do not pick up the full range of decibels. In such cases, the wearer cannot distinguish chosen sounds, such as conversation, from the background racket.

There was also a need to educate the community about the problems faced by people with hearing disabilities.

Apart from the noise in shops, restaurants and some workplaces, there were problems in dealing with everyday situations.

People with hearing impairments tended to speak more loudly, she said.

This should be catered for in areas where their privacy was important, such as whenever talking to a doctor or a financial adviser.

On a more specific front, there was also a need for sub-titles on TV and for TV advertisers to include an email or fax address rather than just a phone number.

"For those people who can't go into a bar or restaurant or attend a public meeting, because of the noise, I want them to be more assertive in asking the proprietors to turn down the music, for example."

By Paul Dykes