Why Tinnitus Is Increasing at Alarming Rates Now?

dear friends, there are statements that tinnitus was not such a significant problem several decades ago. i've spoken to many veterans of world war 2 and to older hunters, who heard hundreds of blasts and they never knew such a problem.
what is the difference between the health status of our generation and theirs?

i have two suspects:
1. our modern, fast and nervous life
2. some immune background for tinnitus, that became common for new generation (some viruses like herpes and allergy)

 

I was also having the same reflexion recently.

Well, I guess most of WW2 veterans have/had tinnitus. My Grandfather has tinnitus but he says it comes from working in a factory.

We also talk a lot more about conditions, maybe at that time people didn't care that much and didn't live in 0db flats at night. I've lived a few months in Bangkok and the city is so noisy at night, i would never be aware of my tinnitus.

 

Vkis -
I've heard about veterans of WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War who had bad tinnitus. Any time a soldier shoots a gun or is near an explosion - even a jet taking off - there is a risk of tinnitus. I don't think the public was too aware of this in the past, because the public was kept hidden from the gorey details of war. Tinnitus is collateral damage that occurs in the carnage.

The Vietnam War was the first televised war, changing how quickly war is reported to the public. Today, CNN and all the major networks show a lot of the bad stuff occuring on battlefields in real time. There are a large number of veterans from Iraq/Afghanistan who have tinnitus, perhaps aggravated by multiple tours of duty on the battlefield.

The American public is gradually becoming more aware of how many veterans are returning home with tinnitus. Congress is under pressure to fund tinnitus research. The VA is seriously pursuing ways to help veterans with tinnitus. The VA is spending money on tinnitus research, looking for the right medicines and/or sound therapies.

Of course there are also an increasing number of young people who have tinnitus because they listened to ear buds at full blast.

 

This is a difficult question. While I agree that the incidence of tinnitus is probably increasing across the population, I would think that is due to the general increase in environmental noise pollution. I know it is dangerous to jump to conclusions because correlation does not equal causation. However, the link between noise exposure and tinnitus is too great to ignore.

As far as our current generation being more susceptible to tinnitus, I disagree with that. There are multiple factors at play. People live longer than ever, meaning that their hearing deteriorates. An older population in general will almost always mean higher rates of tinnitus. The numbers point to that. Compounding that problem, as I said above, is the drastic increase in environmental noise. If it's not on the street, it's in our cars; if it's not at home in front of the TV, it is at work. If we aren't exposed to noise in our leisure time, we're often accidentally exposed. Our lives are full of sound levels that nature did not intend on a near daily basis. While noise was definitely present 50-100 years ago, it was definitely not at the levels of today.

Furthermore, tinnitus was even less known in the past than it is now. It wasn't even a recognized injury or disability by the US DoD until just a few years ago. I would bet that soldiers returning from previous wars have had similar rates of tinnitus and/or hearing loss. One also has to consider what kind of an effect misinformation and lack of awareness has. Imagine living in the 50's. You go to the doctor because your ears are ringing. You are told nothing can be done, to go home and live with it. The doctor then was your best source of medical information. There was no internet to turn to for reading about the condition. There was no American Tinnitus Association. You took the doctor's advice, and you learned to live with it. Tinnitus has been described in very ancient texts, it's been with humanity for as long as we've had writing, and I would bet much longer than that. We just have an amazing tool now for sharing knowledge with millions of people around the world from our living room now.

In conclusion I would agree that tinnitus is increasing in incidence because of a general increase in noise pollution, and aging of the world population. Most of the population growth expected over the next 40-50 years is not because people in third world countries are having 7 children per woman, but because 6 of thost children no longer die by the age of five. People are living much longer. As a result you can expect to see people dying of age related illnesses increase quite a bit (cancers, heart attacks, stroke, alzheimers, etc.), while the incidence of mortaility due to starvation, communicable diseases, infant mortality and other problems decrease. Along with that trend towards age related mortality, disorders associated with aging and exposure (read tinnitus) are almost sure to increase as well.

I seriously doubt any broad change has occured to the human species within a couple generations. I suspect the change is what we are doing to ourselves.

 

It's nice to know some things never change

 

I actually laughed out loud. But it is sad

 

@Hudson

Excellent analysis!

 

Agree with Hudson's analysis that noise pollution in general is the main reason for the increase in tinnitus. Our world is getting louder and louder - with noise levels in cinemas etc far higher than even ten years ago. All too often recommended health and safety guidelines on noise levels are ignored by businesses and venues with complete impunity. Trying to ensure that laws on noise pollution are strengthened and enforced would be a good first step to try to reduce the number of new sufferers and to make the life of sufferers a lot more pleasant.

 

@david c The world is way noisier than ever, traffic noise is so loud and everywhere has a cacophony of voices and music that reaches at a really high level.

The problem is that there aren't any laws on noise in public places. Construction Regulations are very robust, noise must be below the action levels and ear protection provided and worn by law at 2 levels (80dB and 85dB in the UK), and full assessments of noisy works have to be carried out. But when you go out you can be bombarded by sounds and music with the mid range boosted at a seriously loud level - perfectly legally. People just aren't fully aware of the damage it can do, or brush it off (as I used to) when their ears ring for 2 days after clubbing.

 

Very true Steve - there's a lack of legislation on noise in public places. More regulation and warnings are needed. As well as clubs, a whole range of venues have noise levels which can cause hearing loss over repeated exposure.

 

56% americans have an smartphone. An iPhone for example, outputs 100db. 8 minutes of that and you may give yourself permanent damage. In EU at least, there is an iPhone switch that says “EU volume limit”.

Another reason: rock concerts, clubbing, cinemas, etc. don't limit their volume. Anything goes. I got hearing loss on a particular Dire Straits concert alone. The beginning of Money for Nothing was literally painful, people was covering their ears, and I wasn't even in the front rows. Apparently the government doesn't know/care.

 

Dude I love Bangkok ! I may move there but the noise levels of their and Saigon ! May just have to wear ear plugs most of the time except in temples, hotels, malls.......

 

There is so much noise pollution nowadays. Our ears haven't been built for this.

 

There is also one issue concerning music , live and especially recorded music.
Dynamic range compression (not data compression) where the music is compressed so there is less dynamic range , that is, less difference between the loud sections and the lower sections.

Listening to an hour of music on earbuds now and in the 70´s / 80´s as opposed to now is simply not the same thing. Kids today when listening to music with literally no air betwen the driver and their ears and no "breathing" of the music are in danger to say the least"

Our ears like dynamic range , this has been eliminated in todays music in order for your single to sound as loud or louder than the next artist , in my business this is called "the loudness wars" destroys the fidelity of music and in my opinion your hearing.

I actually think this is a HUGE issue.....its not talked about...by the people that should be very concerned about hearing.

 

Going back to Vkis's original theory...

It is interesting that, no matter what the noise levels, some people get tinnitus and some don't. Many of my friends hunt and shoot guns, use all kinds of heavy equipment and tools, and drive motorcycles, all without any earplugs. And after decades of this, they look puzzled when I mention tinnitus.

In addition to simple noise exposure, there may be factors of genetics, physical traits, or weakened constitutions of those who get tinnitus. Possibly, some otherwise healthy people who get tinnitus have more delicate nerve structure to begin with, just as some people have fine hair.

Or some could be predisposed by now rampant viruses and other modern insults, as Vkis suggested.

Yes, it's a noisy world, and that's surely a main factor in tinnitus. But there are not 300 million posters on this forum. That leads one to believe that we should be looking at more than noise alone as the cause.

 

U are right, noise is overrated cause of t. There are so many things that are causing this, focusing at noise (only) is wrong, and it could step out person from a way of his healing.

 

Yet no famous muso will ever say to their fans: use earplugs!!!
How many walk out of those loud AC/DC concerts with permanent damage?

Money money money.... It's all it matters!

 

Just thinking out loud: is there a legal case to take against those people who, with no warning, put others in risk?
In this case loud concert = loss of hearing, tinnitus!

Could a person with HIV who deliberately infects another person be prosecuted?

Same principal!

 

Look where we went in this country with passive smoking laws to protect Bar and Club workers. The trouble with tinnitus is its only there if you say its there, and I don't know how a Court would view that, even with lots of supporting scientific evidence about the risks.

 

Maybe today we're in a culture much more concerned about health, well-being, and self-awareness whereas back then they'd just be told to deal with it and go back to smoking.

That and tinnitus probably didn't register as a problem compared to what they saw while fighting world wars...

Much as I hate to say it, the fact that (mild) T is the biggest problem in my life means my life isn't so bad.

 

Why increase of T? Because the world is getting to be a suckier and suckier place to live in.

 

I have tinnitus from a single concert 7 months ago in a popular venue for live concerts. I did contact one law firm and they told they hadn't been able to prosecute successfully in the past and wouldn't try again. I have yet to have the strength to contact another legal firm but I want to. Through googling it seems you can be injured by sound but there is no repercussions to the promoter or sound engineer.

I truly believe something was different that night from normal with the audio. My mate had a deaf left ear the next day too but had no ringing unlike me. That's 2 from 2. We had gone to see the same band, same venue the year before with no problem at all.

 

It is because of our reliance on sugars which triggers inflammation and make neurons prone to injury.

 

What band was that? Was it at adelaide oval?

 

valeri, .. i wish someone would sue General Motors for the sound that wasn't prevented from being in 2012 and 2013 chevrolet silverados and GMC sierra trucks.
GM Bulletin PIT5166C

Back in summer of 2013 and 2014 ..i spent much time thinking about the safety engineers who did not detect and prevent this sound in their vehicles.

The new technology of these new horrible, high-pitched digital type of electrical fans in new satellite and other radio equipment, is f**king up many people's ears...... HORRIBLE


frohike, appreciated your info.. on the iPhone, etc

 

The Angels indoors at The Gov, Hindmarsh.

Worst day of my life.

Adelaide Oval have had The Rolling Stones and AC/DC.

It is the ear pain that is the worst.

The Health department did email me back but gave me little suggestions of groups to contact. Free earplugs to every concert goer with a hearing warning on every ticket and displayed at the venue. It is not that hard or expensive! Geez

 

I know its an old thread but i 100 % agrree with you here. Even just a clear warning on the tickets and a suggestion to buy earplugs which saves the promoter the cost. Just ridiclious, do not understand it..

 

My wife and I went to a Texas Roadhouse Restaurant and the noise level was so loud I had to put pieces of Napkins in my ears to cut down the sound. I go to the gym young folks blasting away their ear buds to the maximum volumn including my son and he is aware that I have T. They think they are invincible at that age and it isnt going to happen to them. People live under alot of stress today which I feel contributes to the onset of T. And last some of the drugs and foods we consume are factors involved. Probably a combination of things mentioned above..

 

Simple answer really.

% of population with portable devices.

1970: stereos
1980 : walkman 1%
1990-2010: mp3 5%
2016: smart phone 99.9%

World health organization estimates 1 billion with ear damage by 2030

 

I agree 100%, this should be criminal what they do to us...