Baby boomers are already experiencing hearing loss or ear damage, such as tinnitus, as early as their 40s or 50s, said Amy Harris, director of research and support at the American Tinnitus Association.

Tinnitus is an increasingly common ear disorder that causes the sufferer to hear noises that no one else can hear, including what people call ringing in the ears.

Elizabeth Kobe, a Montague resident and organizer of Northern New Jersey Tinnitus Self Help Group, understands the disorder through painful experience.

Tinnitus sufferers typically experience elevated emotional and stress levels, since in most cases the ringing or buzzing is constant, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, she said.

"It's a phantom pain," Kobe said. "Once you can accept your tinnitus, dealing with it gets easier."

One of the methods Kobe said has worked for her is hypnotherapy. Kobe is a certified hypnotherapist.

"It's important to tap into your subconscious," Kobe said, "I picture a radio dial and think, 'Turn it down, Turn it down.'"

Kobe also suggests taking Vitamins B, C and E, which she believes can help heal damaged ear fibers and help balance a person's emotional levels.

One device that Kobe has personally tried and recommends trying, is a masker, which looks similar to a hearing aid and fits inside the ear, but instead of amplifying noises, it creates a noise that matches the frequency of the tinnitus and can make a sufferer's day nearly tinnitus-free.

Experts say tinnitus is preventable: Staying away from loud noises and keeping music at minimal levels are ways to avoid it.

The trouble is, Eavey said, that young people today don't seem to be getting the message. In fact they are turning the music up.

"We live in a noisy world, we have buses, subways, noisy streets," Eavey said, "But on top of that you now add loud concerts and MP3 players.

Those who treat ear ailments report seeing younger patients these days, Harris said.

Recent reports have been warning of the increased risk of tinnitus, which can be directly linked to loud music or prolonged exposure to music. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association surveyed teens and adults about the use of personal electronic devices and head phones and found that high school students are more likely to experience three of the four symptoms of hearing loss. The symptoms include turning up the volume on the television or radio to hear better, asking "What?" or "Huh?" during conversations and tinnitus, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

There is no single cause of tinnitus, but one of the most common is exposure to loud noises, which can damage and even destroy hair cells, called cilia, in the inner ear. Once damaged, these hair cells cannot be renewed or replaced. Millions of Americans have hearing loss due to noise exposure, and up to 90 percent of all tinnitus patients have some level of noise-induced hearing loss, according to the American Tinnitus Association.

The only hope for the iPod generation is to start taking precautions, Eavey said.

"It's similar to smoking when you're young," he said, "You think, 'Well, nothing is going to happen to me now.'"

What people don't seem to realize is they can get the same amount of ear damage at a concert as from the jackhammer on the corner. But the difference is that the brain doesn't like the jackhammer and will avoid it, while many of us enjoy loud music, Eavey said.

"You can unintentionally damage your ears," he said.

Researchers from the Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health conducted a survey on MTV's Web site over a three-day period and found that only 8 percent of those surveyed thought hearing loss is "a very big problem." Three out of five of those surveyed said they have experienced tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, after leaving a concert or nightclub, The Harvard Crimson reported.

"Ringing in the ear can be temporary for young people, but what they don't realize is that continued exposure will eventually catch up and become permanent," said Dr. Victor Gentile, an ear-nose-and-throat specialist with offices in Sparta and Hackettstown. "But you don't necessarily see it in until your in your 20s or 30s."

The problem with the iPod generation is that they are playing their MP3 players at high decibels for extended amounts of time, Eavey said.

Eavey and other medical professionals say the only solution is to make it cool to wear earplugs to concerts and turn down the volume on their personal MP3 players and stereos.

"It was the same with sun block," Eavey said. "People used to think sun block was uncool in the '60s, and now people don't think twice about using it."

By Leah R. Fielding
http://www.njherald.com/285667631333744.php