Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Becomes a Health Issue for Today’s Youth
Noisy Toys and Personal Stereos May Put Your Child at Risk for Hearing Loss
 Noisy toys and blaring personal stereos may be more than just a Christmas shopping regret for many parents this year. Experts say the toy cell phones that fascinate toddlers and portable stereos that brand your teens as “cool” may be damaging their hearing by delivering potentially deafening decibel levels to their ears. Coupled with a busy season of loud blockbuster movies and computer games targeted to young people, our youth may be at increased risk for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) -- a common, but preventable form of injury.
More than 30 million Americans are exposed to hazardous sound levels on a regular basis, and an estimated 10 million already have hearing loss from noise. The National Center for Environmental Health conducted a study of noise-induced hearing threshold shifts (NITS) among U.S. children and found that 14.9 percent of children between the ages of 6 and 19 years have hearing loss in one or both ears. The study suggests that children are being exposed to excessive amounts of hazardous levels of noise. How loud is too loud? According to guidelines established by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), regular or prolonged exposure to noises over 85 dB (decibels) can pose a hearing risk.
“In general, if you have to raise your voice to be heard, the environment is too loud for your ears,” says researcher Sig Soli, Ph.D, House Ear Institute. “And the louder the sound, the less time it takes before your hearing will be affected. Just 15 minutes at a rock concert can subject you to 100 decibels or more of damaging sound -- the maximum duration of exposure for that sound level. Cranking up the volume too high on a stereo or headset can pose a similar risk.”
In an increasingly noisy world with an array of noisy activities, gadgets and digital electronics to entice them, noise-induced hearing loss has become a growing health concern for our youth. Noise-induced hearing loss is 100 percent preventable, but once it happens, the hearing loss is permanent. Parents should encourage children to wear hearing protection (ear plugs or ear muffs) in noisy environments, and can set a good example by turning down the volume levels of all household noise sources, and wearing hearing protection when you mow the lawn, vacuum the house, blow dry your hair or operate power tools. These activities expose you and your family to sound levels ranging from 80 to 95 decibels.
Advise kids to follow these tips for hearing conservation: avoid loud noises in excess of 85 decibels, lower volume levels on your stereo, wear earplugs in noisy environments like concerts (100 to 120 dB), movie theatres (80 to 100 dB) and sports stadiums (80 to 100 dB).
“Concerned parents can protect their younger children’s sensitive ears by choosing quieter toys or lowering the volume on noisy toys by taping over speakers or removing batteries,” says James D. Boswell, CEO, House Ear Institute. “You can help your older children save their hearing by teaching them that loud noise is a potential health danger. If you buy them an MP3 player or a noisy computer game, take the time to demonstrate the safe sound level limits to protect their ears from permanent damage.”
For more information on hearing and hearing loss, visit the House Ear Institute (HEI) Web site at www.hei.org or call (213) 483-4431 and ask about the Institute’s Sound Partners hearing conservation program.
Courtesy of ARA Content
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