HEAR HERE!
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Dear Parent:
We're concerned about environmental noise pollution
and your child's hearing health. There are over 20 million
Americans working, playing, and living around environmental
noise that is dangerously loud.
Noise-induced hearing impairment is permanent. It is
also hard to recognize, since it is painless and develops
slowly. A person suffering from noise-induced hearing
impairment often has difficulty understanding what others
say, making communication difficult. With special training, a
hearing aid may help some people communicate a little
better, but it can't bring back what is already damaged or
destroyed. Medicine or surgery will not cure noise-induced
hearing impairment.
Hearing-impaired children may have problems learning
in school. It may be hard for them to talk, play, and establish
relationships with other children, which are essential for
growth into healthy, stable adults.
Many things we find necessary or convenient or even
enjoyable add to today's growing noise problems. These
products include dishwashers, air conditioners, power tools,
trucks, airplanes, hair dryers, construction, loud music,
snowmobiles, motorcycles, and toys.
Congress has passed legislation that will require
manufacturers to label equipment and toys that may harm
your hearing. But this alone is not enough. Everyone can
help. Make hearing protection and reducing noise a family
affair. Ask your child what noises bother him or her at home.
Tell your child what noises bother you. Discuss this brochure
together. We think you'll learn much about your hearing and
how to protect it.
Think quiet!
American Speech-Language and
Hearing Association
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Noise Abatement
and Control
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Whether you enjoy it or not. ..
... TOO MUCH noise can cause
PERMANENT hearing impairment!
The louder the sound is, and the longer
you listen to it, the more likely damage
will occur.
For example:
A rock musician who is around loud
music every night is likely to get a
hearing impairment from too much
loud music much sooner than a band
student who is around the same loud
music for only one hour during the day.
You have had difficulty hearing or
understanding what someone said
You have had ringing in your ears
after being in a noisy place
You have been unable to hear very
well after listening to loud music or
other sounds for a long time
You may have been exposed to a
loud sound that is hazardous to your
hearing health.
30
Noise is measured in units called
decibels (dB). The greater the number
of decibels, the louder the noise. This
thermometer can give you an idea of
how loud some sounds are. Noise
levels (in decibels) indicated on the
thermometer are approximate as
measured at typical listener's distance. If
you're exposed to sounds above 70 dB
for a long time, they may harm your
hearing, sooner or later.
HARMFUL
TO HEARIN
Hearing conservation programs are
recommended for all employees in
workplaces where noise levels are
85dB or greater.
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What happens inside
the Ear when we
hear sounds?
The OUTER EAR acts like a funnel to
direct sound waves from the air to the
tympanic membrane (eardrum). Sound
causes the tympanic membrane to vibrate.
These vibrations cause the three bones
(malleus, incus, and stapes) in the MIDDLE
EAR to move mechanically. The middle ear
sends these mechanical vibrations to the
INNER EAR where they are picked up by tiny
hair cells and sent as electrical impulses along
the auditory nerve to the brain.
Conductive Loss
A problem involving your outer or middle ear is
conductive. Usually, your doctor can help bring back
normal hearing with medicine or surgery.
Sensori-Neural Loss
A problem involving your inner ear is sensori-
neural. Damage to the inner ear is permanent.
Sometimes a hearing aid will help by making
sounds louder, but it cannot repair damage
already done.
Inner
Ear
Cochlea
—Stapes (stirrip)
Incus (anvil)
Malleus (hammer)
When you listen to sounds that are too
loud for a long time they may damage
the hair cells in the inner ear.
It's sort of like walking on grass over
and over again. At first, the blades of
grass just bend and then spring back.
But...
... if walked on constantly, the blades
of grass no longer spring back. They
turn yellow arid die.
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All noise doesn't have to be too loud.
Some noise can just be ANNOYING
enough to produce such bad effects as
STRESS, TENSION, and ANXIETY.
Such as when we have a restless sleep Such as when we can't concentrate on
or can't sleep at all. what we're doing.
Such as when we end up with a
headache.
Such as when we become impatient
and frustrated.
Of course many other things could
cause these problems, but.. . the
reason could be NOISE!
Sometimes our ears give us hints
they've been overworked by too
much sound ...
Such as when we can't hear very
well after exposure to loud sound.
Such as when we have ringing in our
ears after being around loud sound.
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Who can help? Many people are interested in protecting your
hearing.
The School Nurse
The school nurse may give you a
hearing screening test to see if you
need a complete hearing test.
PASS FAIL
The Otolaryngologist
The Otolaryngologist is a medical
doctor who may look in your ear, nose
and throat, and give you medicine or
recommend surgery for your hearing
impairment. The Otolaryngologist
may send you to an audiologist for a
complete hearing evaluation or
rehabilitation (special training).
The Audiologist
The audiologist, a certified or licensed
professional, may give you a complete
hearing evaluation to measure your
hearing abilities. If you have a hearing
impairment, the audiologist will tell
you how bad it is, what type it is, and
what can be done to help you get
along despite a hearing impairment. If
you need it, the audiologist may
recommend a hearing aid and help
you select one.
The Hearing Aid
Dealer
After you have seen the
Otolaryngologist and the audiologist,
the hearing aid dealer may sell you a
hearing aid.
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CATCH 22
Can you find the 22 words that relate to
noise and your hearing? (Look forwards,
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NOISE
MAZE
One of the three routes shows the most
quiet way to get to school. Help Jimmy
find the most quiet route by avoiding
the noise sources.
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YOU can help too!
Remember... just because you have ears
doesn't mean you can hear!
Like the air we breathe, your hearing is a
good thing to have around!
PROTECT your hearing.
• Turn down the radio and TV.
• Don't listen to loud music too long.
• Wear ear protectors, (earmuffs
and earplugs) when working or
playing around loud noise.
• Complain when something is too
loud.
• Have your hearing checked.
• Look for EPA noise labels, which
will be on consumer products soon.
• Become aware of local noise
ordinances.
• Teach others about noise. Many
people don't know how bad noise is
for them.
• List other things you can do:
For further information about noise and
your hearing:
finim
Ituim
American Speech-Language and
Hearing Association
10801 Rockville Pike
Rockville, Maryland 20852
c/EPA
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Noise Abatement and Control
Washington, D.C. 20460
Answers:
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