Turn Down the Sound

You can reduce your chances for noise-induced hearing loss.

How loud is too loud, and how much time is too long? The answers are related: the louder the sound, the shorter the time before damage can occur, according to The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD).

The institute noted that noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) occurs when tiny sensory hair cells in our inner ears are damaged by noises that are too loud and last for too long.

For instance, the maximum volume of music in headphones is about 105 decibels. That’s 100 times louder than the noise level (85 decibels) at which workers are required to start using hearing protection.

Listening to very loud music in headphones for even a few minutes puts you at an increased risk for hearing loss, the institute says. NIDCD says your ears can be your warning system for potentially dangerous noises around you.

The noise is too loud when:

· You have to raise your voice to be understood by someone standing nearby.

· The noise hurts your ears.

· You develop a buzzing or ringing sound in your ears, even temporarily.

· You don’t hear as well as you normally do until several hours after you get away from the noise.

You can take protective action to avoid NIHL by:

· Blocking the noise (wear earplugs or earmuffs).

· Avoiding the noise (walk away).

· Turning down the sound.

NIDCD is looking to nip noise-induced hearing loss at an early age. The institute sponsors, It’s a Noisy Planet. Protect Their Hearing, a national public education campaign designed to increase awareness among parents of children ages 8 to 12 (tweens) about the causes and prevention of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).

Parents are encouraged to help children adopt healthy hearing habits before and during the time that they develop listening, leisure, and working habits. You can get more information by visiting the Noisy Planet web site http://www.noisyplanet.nidcd.nih.gov.