盛夏时节,林荫间蝉鸣此起彼伏,不少人将其视作治愈心绪的自然白噪音,甚至喜欢长时间在林间静听。

The chorus of cicadas is one of the defining sounds of summer, but doctors warn that prolonged exposure to the insects' high-frequency calls may lead to hearing damage.

18岁的杨同学暑期进山露营,正午时分的密林中,蝉鸣此起彼伏,而他全程未佩戴隔音防护用品。连续4小时身处嘈杂环境后,小杨在当晚明显感觉耳朵闷胀,难以听清鸟鸣、手机提示音等细碎高音。

小杨随后前往医院做听力检查,被确诊为噪声性高频听损。最终经过药物治疗,杨同学的听力基本恢复。

An 18-year-old student surnamed Yang was diagnosed with noise-induced high-frequency hearing loss after spending four hours camping in a wooded area at midday without wearing any hearing protection. The continuous chorus of cicadas, which peaked during the hottest part of the day, left him with a sensation of blocked ears and difficulty hearing high-pitched sounds, such as birds chirping or phone ringtones, later that evening.

Yang later underwent a hearing test at a hospital and was diagnosed with noise-induced high-frequency hearing loss. Following treatment, most of his hearing recovered.

蝉鸣会不会把人震聋?

在树上引吭高歌的蝉,生命已经快要走到了尽头,它们需要在仅剩的4-6周的时间里繁殖后代。高亢的“鸣叫”只来自于雄蝉,吸引雌蝉前来交配。雄蝉不是靠嘴发声,而是依靠第一腹节背面两侧的鼓膜发音器发出鸣声。

蝉不仅可以从早叫到晚,声音也很有穿透力。蝉鸣最高可超过100分贝,相当于喷气式飞机在100米高处飞过头顶时人耳听到的轰鸣。

宁波大学附属第一医院耳鼻咽喉头颈外科李吉副主任医师发出特别警示:“每年夏季,门诊都会接诊多例与蝉鸣噪声相关的听力受损患者。很多人存在认知误区,觉得自然声响不会伤害耳朵。”

Li Ji, deputy chief physician of otolaryngology at the First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, said his department treats several patients every summer with hearing damage associated with prolonged exposure to cicada noise. "Many people mistakenly believe that natural sounds can't harm their hearing," he said.

但其实,悦耳的蝉鸣本质是高频噪声。李吉解释,蝉鸣声波集中在3000-8000Hz高频,恰好冲击耳蜗脆弱的高频感知细胞,使高频听力最先受损。单只蝉鸣70分贝,群鸣可突破85分贝安全线,长时间暴露其中极易损伤内耳毛细胞,损伤一旦发展至不可逆阶段,便终身无法复原,只能靠助听器改善。

Cicada calls are essentially high-frequency noise concentrated between 3,000 and 8,000 hertz (Hz), a range that can damage the cochlea's high-frequency hair cells. While a single cicada produces around 70 decibels (dB), a chorus can easily exceed the generally accepted occupational exposure threshold of 85 dB. Prolonged exposure may cause irreversible damage to inner-ear hair cells, potentially leading to permanent hearing loss that, in severe cases, may require hearing aids.

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学会居家听力自查

高频听力损伤隐蔽性极强,日常交谈不受明显影响,极易被忽视。医生列出以下多项典型预警信号,快来自查↓↓

嘈杂环境中难以分辨s、sh、z等轻辅音;

听不到鸟鸣、细碎虫鸣、手表嘀嗒等细微声响;

不自觉调高电视、手机音量;

耳朵容易酸胀,对尖锐声响格外敏感;

外界安静时,耳边莫名响起类似蝉鸣的滋滋电流声。

夏季听力防护提示

尽管长期处于蝉鸣噪音环境下确实会影响听力,不过人们一般并不会整天与蝉群零距离共处,不用担心有损健康。可以考虑用关窗、戴耳塞的方式物理降噪。

❶ 10:00-16:00蝉鸣最强,减少密林长时间停留;

Avoid spending extended periods in wooded areas between 10 am and 4 pm, when cicada activity is typically at its peak.

❷ 林间久待佩戴隔音耳塞,勿长时间站在蝉群树下;

Wear earplugs if you expect to remain in a forested area for a long time, and avoid standing directly beneath trees where cicadas are concentrated.

❸ 出现耳闷、耳鸣、听不清高音立刻离开噪声,症状3天不缓解及时做听力检测;

If you experience ear fullness, tinnitus or difficulty hearing high-frequency sounds, leave the area immediately. If symptoms persist for three days or longer, seek a hearing assessment as soon as possible.

❹ 儿童、听力偏弱人群重点防护。

Children and people with pre-existing hearing problems should take extra precautions.

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来源:宁波晚报 科普中国

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