Sometimes it can be easy to recognize risks to your hearing: loud equipment or a roaring jet engine. easy to persuade people to protect their ears when they know they will be near loud noises. But what if there was an organic substance that was as bad for your ears as too much noise? Simply because something is organic doesn’t always mean it’s good for you. How could something that’s organic be just as bad for your ears as loud noise?

An Organic Compound You Wouldn’t Want to Eat

To be clear, we’re not talking about organic things like produce or other food products. According to recent (and some not-so-recent) research published by European scholars, there’s a good possibility that a group of chemicals known as organic solvents can damage your hearing even if exposure is minimal and limited. It’s significant to note that, in this case, organic does not refer to the sort of label you see on fruit at the supermarket. In reality, the word “organic” is utilized by marketers to make people think a product is good for them. When food is labeled as organic, it means that particular growing methods are implemented to keep food from having artificial pollutants. When we mention organic solvents, the term organic is chemistry-related. In the discipline of chemistry, the term organic represents any compounds and chemicals that have bonds between carbon atoms. Carbon can generate a large number of molecules and therefore useful chemicals. But at times they can also be unsafe. Each year, millions of workers are exposed to the dangers of hearing loss by handling organic solvents.

Where do You Find Organic Solvents?

Organic solvents are used in some of the following items:

• Varnishes and paints
• Degreasing chemicals
• Adhesives and glue
• Cleaning supplies

You get the idea. So, here’s the question, will your hearing be damaged by cleaning or painting?

Hazard Related to Organic Solvents

The more you’re exposed to these substances, based on recent research, the higher the associated risks. This means that you’ll most likely be fine while you clean your bathroom. The most potent risk is experienced by individuals with the highest degree of contact, in other words, factory workers who produce or use organic solvents on an industrial scale. Industrial solvents, in particular, have been well investigated and definitively demonstrate that exposure can lead to ototoxicity (toxicity to the auditory system). This has been demonstrated both in laboratory experiments involving animals and in experiential surveys involving actual people. Exposure to the solvents can have a detrimental impact on the outer hair cells of the ear, causing loss of hearing in the mid-frequency range. Regretfully, the ototoxicity of these solvents isn’t well recognized by company owners. These risks are even less recognized by workers. So there are insufficient standardized protocols to safeguard the hearing of those employees. One thing that may really help, for instance, would be standardized hearing examinations for all workers who use organic solvents on a consistent basis. These workers could get early treatment for hearing loss because it would be detected in its beginning phases.

You Have to go to Work

Most suggestions for safeguarding your ears from these particular organic compounds include managing your exposure coupled with periodic hearing examinations. But if you expect that advice to be successful, you have to be informed of the hazards first. It’s straight forward when the risks are well known. Everyone recognizes that loud noises can damage your ears and so precautions to safeguard your hearing from day-to-day sounds of the factory floor seems logical and obvious. But when the danger is not visible as it is for the millions of Americans who work with organic solvents, solutions can be a harder sell. Fortunately, as researchers raise more alarm bells, employees and employers are beginning to make their places of work a little bit less dangerous for everyone. Some of the best advice would be to use a mask and work in a well ventilated place. Having your ears examined by a hearing care specialist is also a good idea.

It’s Not Necessarily Good For You Just Because it’s Labeled “Organic”

Sometimes it can be easy to recognize risks to your hearing: loud equipment or a roaring jet engine. easy to persuade people to protect their ears when they know they will be near loud noises. But what if there was an organic substance that was as bad for your ears as too much noise? Simply because something is organic doesn’t always mean it’s good for you. How could something that’s organic be just as bad for your ears as loud noise?

An Organic Compound You Wouldn’t Want to Eat

To be clear, we’re not talking about organic things like produce or other food products. According to recent (and some not-so-recent) research published by European scholars, there’s a good possibility that a group of chemicals known as organic solvents can damage your hearing even if exposure is minimal and limited. It’s significant to note that, in this case, organic does not refer to the sort of label you see on fruit at the supermarket. In reality, the word “organic” is utilized by marketers to make people think a product is good for them. When food is labeled as organic, it means that particular growing methods are implemented to keep food from having artificial pollutants. When we mention organic solvents, the term organic is chemistry-related. In the discipline of chemistry, the term organic represents any compounds and chemicals that have bonds between carbon atoms. Carbon can generate a large number of molecules and therefore useful chemicals. But at times they can also be unsafe. Each year, millions of workers are exposed to the dangers of hearing loss by handling organic solvents.

Where do You Find Organic Solvents?

Organic solvents are used in some of the following items:

• Varnishes and paints
• Degreasing chemicals
• Adhesives and glue
• Cleaning supplies

You get the idea. So, here’s the question, will your hearing be damaged by cleaning or painting?

Hazard Related to Organic Solvents

The more you’re exposed to these substances, based on recent research, the higher the associated risks. This means that you’ll most likely be fine while you clean your bathroom. The most potent risk is experienced by individuals with the highest degree of contact, in other words, factory workers who produce or use organic solvents on an industrial scale. Industrial solvents, in particular, have been well investigated and definitively demonstrate that exposure can lead to ototoxicity (toxicity to the auditory system). This has been demonstrated both in laboratory experiments involving animals and in experiential surveys involving actual people. Exposure to the solvents can have a detrimental impact on the outer hair cells of the ear, causing loss of hearing in the mid-frequency range. Regretfully, the ototoxicity of these solvents isn’t well recognized by company owners. These risks are even less recognized by workers. So there are insufficient standardized protocols to safeguard the hearing of those employees. One thing that may really help, for instance, would be standardized hearing examinations for all workers who use organic solvents on a consistent basis. These workers could get early treatment for hearing loss because it would be detected in its beginning phases.

You Have to go to Work

Most suggestions for safeguarding your ears from these particular organic compounds include managing your exposure coupled with periodic hearing examinations. But if you expect that advice to be successful, you have to be informed of the hazards first. It’s straight forward when the risks are well known. Everyone recognizes that loud noises can damage your ears and so precautions to safeguard your hearing from day-to-day sounds of the factory floor seems logical and obvious. But when the danger is not visible as it is for the millions of Americans who work with organic solvents, solutions can be a harder sell. Fortunately, as researchers raise more alarm bells, employees and employers are beginning to make their places of work a little bit less dangerous for everyone. Some of the best advice would be to use a mask and work in a well ventilated place. Having your ears examined by a hearing care specialist is also a good idea.