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Pop a Pill, Save Your Hearing

Posted by michael on from the pull-string-gun-go-boom dept.

powlow writes "People who've had their ears damaged by gunfire, jackhammers or punk rock have traditionally had two choices: get hearing aids, or suffer in silence. But a new set of drugs, about to be tested on Marine recruits, is showing promise as a way to protect ears against the din."

9 of 70 comments (clear)

  1. Science fun by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    At the University of Michigan, for example, guinea pigs were blasted for five hours with 115 decibels of sound -- about the equivalent of a chainsaw.

    I like that word 'blasted'. Where can I get a job blasting helpless animals like that?

  2. Don't ask, don't tell by AtariAmarok · · Score: 4, Funny

    "tested on Marines", I just start to think of superviruses, and stuff like that"

    Just wait until Mary Kay discovers that it can do most of its lipstick and eye-shadow testing on platoons of Marines instead of rabbits.

    --
    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
  3. A prophylactic, not a cure by WayneConrad · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Stop giggling at the title... you know what I mean.

    The first sentence implies that this is a cure; the second that this is a preventative measure. The second sentence is right. It can prevent hearing loss, but won't recover already lost hearing.

    If it were me, I'd take the pill and wear hearing protection. The pill seems like a great idea for those who simply can't have ear plugs.

    I understand that war doesn't stop for a soldier to insert ear plugs, but do soldiers use hearing protection at the firing range?

    1. Re:A prophylactic, not a cure by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      So basically you put these pills in your ears and that dampens the noise? ;-)

    2. Re:A prophylactic, not a cure by advocate_one · · Score: 4, Interesting
      "but do soldiers use hearing protection at the firing range?"

      I think you'll find that it's mandatory under healt and safety at work legislation...
      I worked on the flightline and in an engine test house for a large chunk of my career. Ear defenders were issued and were to be worn at all times when the noise was above a certain threshold... (if you have to shout to be understood at a range of one metre then it's too loud and protection must be worn). I can happily say that I still have good hearing for my age considering what I was exposed to...

      What scares me about this pill is the trials... are they going to deliberately issue only pills to a trial group of marines??? Those marines are in no position to make an informed choice and properly volunteer for the trial.

      --
      Donald 'Duck' Dunn: We had a band powerful enough to turn goat piss into gasoline.
  4. Ringing in my ears... by stefanlasiewski · · Score: 4, Interesting

    People who've had their ears damaged by gunfire, jackhammers or punk rock have traditionally had two choices: get hearing aids, or suffer in silence.

    Ha! I wish I could suffer in silence.

    I haven't had a silent moment in probably 10 years (or more). Why? Because I have tinnitus, which is a constant high-pitched ringing noise-like sensation in my ears. I am not hearing a real noise, but something between my ears and my brain decide to generate a ringing noise which I hear every second of every day.

    If it is really quiet, the ringing can be very loud and unsettling. I've learned to deal with it. Usually the normal background noise in an office can mask the noise.

    I sleep with an airfilter on at night, on a low setting. The grey/white noise is loud enough to mask the ringing. Music/television are too distracting for sleep. My parents live in the country, and it's quiet. Hope I don't forget a noise generator...

    It was hard to sleep in Europe. Tourist hotels are usually pretty loud, and earplugs make it so I can only hear the ringing. Drunk Austrians running up and down the street 3:30AM, singing at the top of their lungs... ack! :)

    Oddly, one alcoholic drink subdues my sensation of the ringing.

    As a side effect, I have a really hard time hearing people in a crowded room, even if they are two feet from me. I can't carry on a conversation in most bars. Quiet resturants are great.

    My dad has it also. So either we have the same genetic predisposition to tinitus, or we have a genetic predisposition to listen to loud music :) Or both.

    Damn you Einstuerzende Neubauten and your damn forks on garbage can lids! And Black Flag and Pink Floyd and Led Zepplin and Metallica! Damn you to hell! :)

    --
    "Can of worms? The can is open... the worms are everywhere."
  5. Oh great.... by rasteri · · Score: 5, Funny

    Soon I'm going to have to take TWO pills to go to clubs...

  6. damaged ears by Amiga+Lover · · Score: 5, Funny

    People who've had their ears damaged by gunfire

    I immediately wondered how a pill would protect against being shot in the side of the head.

  7. H.S. Bands are the worst hearing killers by DougHalfWay+AroundTh · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The dirty little secret is that many, many H.S. band kids already have permanent hearing losses due to brass and percussion. UNT is just starting to discover this, but I'll bet if OSHA took SPL readings in the brass section, they would shut down every band in the U.S. How do I know? My son, the "ace" trumpeter in HS and UT, has major hearing loss. So, get your band kids hearing protectors and get them knowledgable about the dangers of loud sounds. Once they loose it, it can never come back.