Repeated Exposure To Loud Noises Can Create An Ear Tumor
A study that was published in a 2006 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology suggests that exposure to loud noises over many years can increase your risk of developing a non-cancerous tumour called acoustic neuroma, which can cause hearing loss. Of important note is that the study found that this risk holds true of any loud noise, not just work-related noise.
Though we've long known that repeated exposure to loud noises can cause hearing loss, this study offers evidence that over time, exposure to loud noises can actually cause tumor formation.
The study found that people who were repeatedly exposed to loud noises over a period of several years were 1.5 times more likely to develop an acoustic neuroma than people who weren't exposed to loud noises on a frequent basis.
A total of 710 people were evaluated for this study - 564 people without the tumor, and 146 with acoustic neuroma. Participants ranged from 20 to 69 years of age.
Data was collected for the following categories of loud noise exposure, defined as 80 decibels (the sound of busy city traffic) or louder:
Machines
Power tools and/or construction noise
Motors, including airplanes
Employment in the music industry
Loud music
Screaming children
Sports events
Restaurants and/or bars
Data was also collected on the use of hearing protection with the following results:
Of the types of noise listed above, the two categories that were found to be the most likely causes of tumor formation were:
Exposure to music and employment in the music industry (2.25 times more likely to develop tumor)
Exposure to machines, power tools and/or construction (1.8 times more likely to develop tumor)
Exposure to screaming children, sports events and/or bars, and restaurants were 1.4 times more likely to cause an acoustic neuroma, while exposure to motors, including airplanes, increased the risk of developing acoustic neuroma by 1.3 times.
Also worth noting: exposure to loud noises for as little as five years increased the chance of developing acoustic neuroma by 1.5 times.
Some background information on acoustic neuroma:
It accounts for approximately 6 to 10 percent of tumors that develop in the head region
Anywhere from 1 to 20 people out of every 100,000 develop acoustic neuroma on an annual basis
Approximately 95 percent of all cases of acoustic neuroma are unilateral (in one ear only)
Bilateral acoustic neuroma is often inherited
If an acoustic neuroma is detected early enough, it's quite possible for a surgeon to excise it without a high risk of complications
Take home message
People who use devices to protect their ears against loud noises have no greater risk of developing an acoustic neuroma than those who are not regularly exposed to loud noises. People who wear these devices are only half as likely to develop an acoustic neuroma as people who do not wear any protective devices.