I SAID, 'TURN THAT THING DOWN!' Blasting music can blow an eardrum. Now researchers say it can also pack enough punch to collapse a lung.
Reporting in the British journal Thorax, they describe the cases of four young men who suffered lung collapse -- the technical term is pneumothorax -- apparently triggered by loud music. Three of the men were at concerts or clubs when the collapses occurred. The fourth was in his car, which was outfitted with a 1,000-watt bass box because he "liked to listen to loud music."
A pneumothorax occurs when a small rupture in a lung allows air to leak into the space between the lungs and the chest wall. Symptoms include breathlessness and chest pain. A small, partial collapse may resolve on its own, but more severe cases require insertion of a tube to let air escape the chest cavity.
Though the report cites only a small number of patients, lead author Marc Noppen said he suspects more cases of music-induced lung collapse will be caught. Since the report's publication, he said, doctors in other countries have told him they've seen similar cases.
Noppen said he and his colleagues suspect that booming bass may be the culprit. The lungs may essentially start to vibrate at the same frequency as the bass, causing a rupture.
