[聽力保健] 造成澳洲人聽力損失的原因

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本篇文章原文網址：http://www.hearing.com.au/

Causes of hearing loss in Australia  (DECEMBER 22,2013)

IN ABOUT HEARING The most significant cause of hearing loss—according to Access Economics, around 37 per cent of all cases—in Australia is exposure to excessive noise

Hearing loss can also be acquired  through illness, accident, exposure to certain drugs and chemicals, or as part of the normal ageing process.

在澳洲，根據Access Economics的調查，大約37%的聽力損失患者是因為暴露在高噪音環境下所。除了高噪音會導致聽損外，疾病、意外傷害或使用毒品、藥品都可能會導致聽力損失。

Loud noise can cause irreversible hearing damage, as it harms the delicate hearing mechanism within the inner ear.

Damage to hearing due to noise exposure is cumulative. This means the higher the noise level and the longer your exposure, the greater the harm, making it even more important to protect your hearing.

過大的噪音會傷害微巧的內耳結構，所造成的聽力損失是永遠無法復原的。暴露在噪音底下對耳朵造成的傷害是累加的。當耳朵暴露在越高的噪音環境下，且待的時間越長，就更容易對耳朵造成傷害。因此，懂得愛惜與保護自己的耳朵是很重要的。

Many of your daily activities won’t harm your hearing, but some activities can start to cause damage after only a short time. For example,vacuuming, at around 65 decibels (dB), is unlikely  to damage hearing, but listening to a portable music player at 94 dB for one hour can start to cause damage.

The level of noise at a nightclub, at 100 dB, can be as loud or louder than a chainsaw and this can damage your hearing after just 15 minutes’ exposure. Louder sounds, such as a jet plane or gunfire, both of which are more than 110 dB, can cause damage in just one minute.

我們大部分的日常活動是不會對聽力造成傷害的，但有些活動僅需要極短的時間就會對耳朵造成傷害。舉例來說，使用吸塵器時音量大約65分貝，不會影響聽力；然而，聆聽撥出音量高達94分貝的隨身聽長達一小時則會造成聽力損失；夜店的噪音量與使用電鋸的聲音高達100分貝，僅僅需要15分鐘就會造成聽力損失了；至於噴射機起飛或槍枝打靶的聲音都超過了110分貝，只需要一分鐘就會使聽力遭受傷害。

In Australia, between nine and 12 children per 10,000 live births will be born with a moderate or greater hearing loss in both ears. Around another 23 children per 10,000 will acquire a hearing impairment that requires hearing aids by the age of 17 through accident, illness or other causes. Each year, Australian Hearing fits around 2000 children with hearing aids for the first time.

在澳洲，每1萬個新生兒就有9~12個是雙耳重度聽損，另外有23個兒童在成長到十七歲的期間，會因為意外、疾病或其他因素而導致聽力受損需要配戴助聽器。每年，澳洲聽力中心大約替2000個兒童選配他們第一台助聽器。

Otitis media, also known as middle ear infection, is a common childhood complaint often associated with temporary or fluctuating hearing loss. This in turn can affect a child’s learning, language development and behaviour. Although it is usually easily treatable, the incidence of otitis media is significantly higher among Indigenous children, for whom it represents a serious health and educational problem.

中耳炎是家喻戶曉的疾病，乃由中耳感染導致，通常會伴隨暫時性的聽力損失，這會影響小孩的聽力、語言和行為發展。雖然中耳炎容易治癒，卻仍然普遍存在比較偏鄉落後地區的兒童。這也顯示出當地健康教育的落後問題。

The incidence of hearing loss increases as we get older. It’s a part of the natural ageing process, with over half the population aged between 60 and 70 having a hearing loss. This increases to more than 70 per cent of those over the age of 70, and 80 per cent of those over the age of 80.

我們隨著年紀增長，聽力損失的機率也會增加。這是人體器官自然老化的過程，而約在60~70歲的人口有超過一半的人患有聽力損失。˙70歲以上的老年人中有70%患有聽力損失，80歲以上的老年人有聽力損失的人則超過80%。

War veterans are likely to suffer from hearing problems due to damage from noise exposure during their service. Hearing is the second most common medical condition reported by Australian war veterans and war widows, with 55 per cent reporting hearing loss as a current medical condition.

退役軍人在服役期間容易暴露在噪音環境下而導致聽力有問題。報導顯示，在澳洲，聽力問題是退役軍人第二常見的醫療疾病，約有55%的退役軍人有聽力損失的狀況。

Over half of Australia’s farmers are likely to suffer from premature  hearing loss through occupational noise exposure from agricultural machinery, tools and pigs in sheds at feeding time. Almost all farmers over the age of 55 who have been exposed to loud noise suffer some degree of hearing loss. However, only 18 per cent of farmers wear hearing protection while working with heavy machinery.

在澳洲，有超過一半的農夫因為長期暴露在農耕機具或吵鬧的豬寮下餵食引起的噪音，容易在年紀很輕時就患有聽力損失。超過55歲的農夫幾乎都患有聽力損失，然而只有約18%的農夫在操作高噪音的農耕機具時會配戴聽力護具。

資料來源
http://www.hearing.com.au/