According to the American Hearing Research Foundation it is
stated that “noise induced hearing loss is a permanent hearing impairment
resulting from prolonged exposure to high levels of noise.” Everyday people are
exposed to some kind of noise whether it is the television or traffic, but
these noises are at levels that have little to no effect on our hearing. If
people are exposed to sounds that are too loud for a brief or extended amount
of time it can be extremely harmful to the individual. “These sounds can damage
sensitive structures in the inner ear and cause noise induced hearing loss.”
Noise induced hearing loss can be completely preventable.
This can be done by using ear plugs and earmuffs. Also, being educated on the
hazards that noise can cause to a person is beneficial when going into loud
environments. “Intensity of sound is measured in decibels, the scale runs from
the faintest sound the human ear can detect, which is labeled 0 decibels to
over 180 decibels.” Noise that can cause damaging to a person’s hearing are at
or above 85 decibels.
Hearing protection decreases the intensity of sound that may
reach an individual’s eardrum. Earplugs are one of the protection measures that
can be used to prevent noise induced hearing loss. For earplugs “to be
effective they must completely block the ear canal with an airtight seal.”
Earplugs come in a variety of different shapes and sizes to fit individual ear
canals. Earplugs can be very cheap and purchased at a local store, or they can
be very expensive if the person chooses to have them custom made. “Earmuffs go
over the entire outer ear to form an air seal so the entire circumference of
the ear canal is blocked, and they are held in place by an adjustable band.” If
earplugs and or muffs are properly fitted they can reduce noise up to 15 to 30
decibels.
http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/pages/noise.aspx
http://american-hearing.org/disorders/noise-induced-hearing-loss/
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