Unfortunately, for some this message is coming too late. U.S. government survey data shows that approximately 5.2 million children ages 6 to 19 already have permanent damage to their ears’ hair cells caused by exposure to loud noises. Sadly, these kids may suffer not only from diminished hearing, but also from impaired language development, ability to learn, and social interactions.
That’s enough to make all of us sit up and listen, and, hopefully, act before it’s too late.
85 – a magic number
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| Turn it left to not exceed 85 dB |
Recent studies show that exposure to harmful noise levels triggers the formation of molecules inside the ear, which play an important role in hearing loss in children. Although noise is harmful to people of all ages, kids’ hearing is particularly fragile because their ear canals are much smaller than adults.’ As a matter of fact, even a brief exposure to a very loud noise can result in permanent damage.
