Hearing Conservation Education
Raising Awareness about Excessive Noise
Over 5 million 6 ñ 19 year-olds have hearing loss directly related to noise exposure!
Are you one of them?
What is Noise and how does it affect your hearing?
Noise is defined simply as unwanted sound. The measure of loudness, or sound level intensity, is a unit called the decibel.
Sounds that exceed 85 decibels can damage your hearing, and the louder the noise, the shorter the time before your hearing is damaged.
This chart tells you how long you can listen to loud sounds without hurting your hearing
|
Continuous sound level |
Maximum Time |
|
85 dB |
8 hours |
|
91 dB |
2 hours |
|
97 dB |
30 minutes |
|
103 dB |
8 minutes |
|
109 dB |
Less then 2 minutes |
What are some common examples of sound levels in our environment?
A typical conversation occurs at 60 dB
A bulldozer idling at 85 dB can cause permanent damage after only 1 work day (8 hours).
Listening to music on earphones at level 5, the sound reaches 100 dB, loud enough to cause permanent damage after just 15 minutes per day!
A clap of thunder (120 dB), a firecracker or a gunshot (140-190 dB, depending on weapon), can cause immediate damage.
What are some common examples of things people do that can expose them to potentially damaging sounds?
Target shooting, hunting
Woodworking, shop tools
Movie theaters, video Games and video arcades, concerts
Gas-powered lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and string trimmers
What are the warning signs that itís so loud it might hurt your hearing?
The sound is so loud it hurts your ears to listen
You may experience immediate loss of hearing
You may hear a ringing in your ears or inside your head
Sounds may become distorted or muffled
Always having to ask people to repeat things they said to you, or having to shout to make yourself heard.
How can you protect your ears from loud noise?
Know which noises can cause damage (those above 85 decibels), and stay away from them if you can.
Wear earplugs when involved in a loud activity. You can find them at drug, hardware, and sporting good stores.
Turn it down!!!
Protect children who are too young to protect themselves, and tell your family and friends about the hazards of noise.
Have a medical examination and a hearing test by a physician who specializes in diseases of the ears, nose, and throat.
Where can you get more information on preventing noise-induced hearing loss?
Crank It Down!
National Hearing Conservation Association
www.hearingconservation.org
Dangerous Decibels
Oregon Hearing Research Center
www.dangerousdecibels.org
Wise Ears
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/kids/index.htm