The reason why "Seong Si-kyung's Eardrum Boyfriend" is a joy for the ears [Health in One Picture]

Singer Seong Si-kyung is recently being called the "Eardrum Boyfriend." This is largely due to many reviews praising how his uniquely sweet voice on the KBS2 music program "The Seasons - Seong Si-kyung's Eardrum Boyfriend" delights the eardrums.

In fact, the volume of everyday conversation is 50 to 60 decibels (dB), while the speaking voice of a person with an attractive low tone like Seong Si-kyung is about 40 dB, and a whisper is 30 dB, placing no burden on the eardrum. Generally, sounds below 75 dB do not cause ear diseases such as hearing loss.

There are specific sounds that torment the eardrum. They are "noise." Medically, noise is defined as an extremely loud sound that is painful and unwanted to the eardrum. Examples include the sound of machinery running in a factory, gunfire, car noises, amplified music, and advertising broadcasts.

Precisely, when the volume of sound is "85 dB or higher," it can harm hearing. Prolonged exposure to loud sounds of 85 dB or more in such environments can damage the inner ear and cause "noise-induced hearing loss." Traffic noise on busy roads is 75 to 85 dB, subway noise is 80 dB, factory noise is 90 dB, and rock music is about 110 dB.

Noise-induced hearing loss can occur if one is continuously exposed to noise of 90 dB or more for more than eight hours a day, or to noise of 105 dB or more for more than one hour a day. When exposed to such noise, "temporary hearing loss," where sounds are not heard well temporarily, may appear, but it usually recovers within a day after moving to a quiet place. However, repeated exposure to noise can damage auditory cells and lead to noise-induced hearing loss, which is a stage of "permanent hearing impairment."

It is reported that the sound pressure exceeds 100 dB when the volume of a mobile phone is turned up to maximum. Exposure to noise can cause symptoms throughout the body, not just the signal that "the ears hurt." Research results indicate that exposure to noise increases headaches, anxiety, and tension, causes rapid breathing or a faster pulse, and can lead to indigestion and high blood pressure.

In the early stages of noise-induced hearing loss, high-pitched sounds are difficult to hear. At this stage, one may not feel significant inconvenience in daily life, but as symptoms worsen, one's own voice becomes louder, and one frequently asks others to repeat themselves because they cannot understand what is being said. If it gets worse, ear-related diseases such as tinnitus and dizziness may develop. In such cases, it is advisable to check for hearing loss findings in the 4th kHz range through a pure-tone audiometry test.

If you experience symptoms suspected of hearing loss, such as tinnitus, difficulty understanding what others are saying, or hearing other people's voices as mumbling sounds when conversing in noisy environments, it is necessary to visit an otolaryngology department for treatment.

Text=Reporter Jeong Sim-gyo [email protected], Consultation=Korean Society of Otolaryngology, Korean Society of Otorhinolaryngology .