Americans love to celebrate July Fourth and other summer festivals with firecrackers, music, and marching bands. But too much noise pollution can lead to a loss of hearing.
"I don't think people realize how much loud noise they are exposed to during all the Fourth of July activities," said David Coffin, a professor of speech pathology and audiology at Ball State University. "We have music playing, use lawnmowers, listen to marching bands, and light firecrackers. It is not a good time for our ears."
80 Decibel Limit
Sounds louder than 80 decibels are considered potentially damaging to the ears. But noise created by fireworks, traffic, and lawnmowers ranges from 90 to 140 decibels, he said.
"Most people will suffer a loss of hearing after being exposed to high levels of noise over a period of time," Coffin said. "But in some cases, it only takes one exposure to cause permanent damage."
Sounds are too loud, if:
- You must raise your voice to be heard.
- You can't hear someone talking who is two or three feet away from you.
- Speech around you sounds muffled during or after leaving a noisy area.
- You have pain or ringing in your ears (tinnitus) after noise exposure.
You can take steps to reduce hearing loss by avoiding prolonged exposure to noise and by wearing hearing protection, such as earplugs or earmuffs when necessary.
"Noise exposure is a serious but preventable problem," Coffin said. "Hearing loss cannot be repaired. When hearing is gone, it's gone." |
