Noisy Planet encourages you to promote awareness of noise-induced hearing loss—a preventable form of hearing loss—throughout the year, but especially during October, which is National Protect Your Hearing Month.
Hearing loss from noise can happen to anyone at any age. Noise-induced hearing loss can occur all at once, or it can take years to be noticeable. A recent study shows that, based on certain features of their hearing test results, at least 10 million adults in the U.S. (6 percent of the population) under age 70—and perhaps as many as 40 million adults (24 percent)—may have hearing loss from noise in one or both ears. The research was conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with support from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
To protect your hearing, reduce your exposure to loud noise. Examples of loud noise can be found in Listen Up! Protect Your Hearing, an interactive infographic on the Noisy Planet website that shows how loud some common sounds are. Developed by the National Center for Environmental Health, part of the CDC, the infographic also provides tips to keep your ears safe around loud noises. Pick a sound to see how loud it is, get tips for safe listening—and still enjoy the activities you love!
Spread the word in your community about these easy steps you can take to protect your family’s hearing:
Lower the volume. Set the volume on electronic devices to a safe level (sounds at or above 85 decibels can put you at risk for gradual hearing loss). Many devices have a setting that allows you to set a maximum volume for you and your family.
Move away. Put some distance between you and the noise source to reduce the impact on your ears.
Wear hearing protectors. Use earplugs or earmuffs if you can’t leave a noisy place.
Last Updated Date:
September 29, 2017
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