Every day
Americans head off to work to clock in at some very risky occupations. Firefighting, storm chasing, smoke jumping,
refereeing peewee soccer, and mowing the lawn are a few. A recent study found that coaches and referees
who use whistles are more likely to suffer from symptoms of noise-induced
hearing loss than people in the general population. Regular exposure, even
briefly, to sounds above 85 decibels can lead to permanent hearing loss. Nearly
half of the referees who participated in the survey reported ringing in their
ears after a game, which is a symptom of damage to sensitive inner ear cells
that can lead to irreversible damage. “During fast paced games or rival matches
my ears would hurt from the whistle,” says one Highlands Ranch coach. That’s a
warning that the sound is too loud and potentially harmful.
Your kids were
right all along. Chores are bad for
their health. Many teens find themselves
on lawnmower detail at home or take lawn jobs during the summer to earn extra
money. A lawnmower emits 90 decibels of
noise. That’s not bad compared to a jet
engine which emits 150 decibels. Still,
prolonged and repeated exposure can cause permanent hearing loss. Power tools,
video games, motorcycles, snowmobiles, and MP3 players are other common
household items that pack a wallop. “It
really doesn’t take much to accumulate a decibel load,” says composer and music
producer Janis Page. “Add traffic,
planes, sirens, and other environmental sounds to the offending noise source
and it really adds up.” If you want to measure
the noise around you yourself, there is a free app for android and iPhones
called SPL Meter.
“Most parents
don’t realize the decibels their kids are exposed to each day,” says Tobey Stein
of the Douglas County Parenting Coalition, “And hearing protection is a topic many
people don’t know much about. I used to think I was the cool mom because I took
my kid to hear his favorite rock bands with the amps cranked up.” While researching the topic of hearing
protection, she went to her local electronics store to check out headphones for
kids and teens. “The salesmen there
could talk about sound balance and other features of their products but when I
asked them about safety, they looked at me like I had just landed from outer
space,” Stein recalls.
Fortunately,
hearing loss is very preventable. “The
very best headphones are the ones that aren’t anywhere near your ears,” says
Stein. Still, some sound products for kids and teens are much safer than
others. “Don’t be fooled,” says Claudette Anderson of Prescriptions For
Success, “Just because an MP3 player has fuzzy bunnies on it, that doesn’t mean
it’s safe for kids.” Technology has made hearing protection cool. There are
some good high fidelity music earplugs on the market for very little money.
They dial down the decibels at concerts or clubs without distorting the
sound. “Girls will think the guy with
the ear gear is with the band so it has added advantages,” laughs Stein.
