What is noise-induced hearing loss?

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is hearing damage caused by exposure to loud sounds. When looking at the causes of NIHL, you must consider two things:

1. The intensity of the noise, or how loud it is
2. The length of time exposed to the noise 

Sounds that are too loud or loud sounds that last a long time can damage the hair cells in your inner ear, causing NIHL. Once damaged, our hair cells cannot repair themselves or grow back.

You are experiencing temporary NIHL if your ears ring or hurt after listening to loud music at a concert. Repeated contact with intense noise, such as listening to an Mp3 player at loud levels for an extended period, gradually produces permanent NIHL.

Every day items such as children's toys and Mp3 players can harm your child's hearing.

How loud is too loud?

The loudness of sound is measured in units called decibels (dB). Long or repeated exposure to sounds at or above 85 decibels can cause hearing loss. 

 *Note that many of the items your children are exposed to everyday have potentially dangerous noise levels

Listening time:  How long is too long?

The louder the sound, the faster that damage occurs.

The longer the exposure, the more likely the damage.

 What this means to you and your family?

Our world has become a noisy one. Potentially damaging sound levels can be found in our city streets, the places we meet and in our own homes. Our young people are exposed to more noise than ever before. 

Beware of Toy Noise                                                                        

• Before buying a toy, listen to the noise it makes by putting it close to your ear like your child may do. If you have to raise your voice to be heard above its noise level or if you feel it is uncomfortable, it is too loud.
• Choose toys with a volume and on/off button.
• Limit the time your child spends playing with battery-operated toys.
• Find ways of lowering the volume on noisy toys i.e. taping over the speaker.
• Monitor noise levels to which your children are exposed. If you have to shout to be heard over background noise, it is too loud.
• Remove batteries from loud toys

 Protect your child’s hearing

• Avoid staying in noisy places like arcades or restaurants with loud music for long periods of time
• Keep the volume down when watching television or listening to music at home and in the car
• Provide hearing protection when children exposed to noise from snowmobiles, personal watercraft, motorcycles, or power tools including lawnmowers and chainsaws.
• Provide hearing protection at concerts and do not sit near the speakers. Sit or stand closer to centre stage, as speakers are most often located at the sides. Stuffing tissue in the ears does not reduce damage. It only muffles sound.

 Warning signs of hearing damage in children

• Your child’s baby-talk is not progressing or speech/language is delayed
• Difficulty locating sounds
• Speaks too softly or too loudly
• Turns up the television volume too high
• Has behaviour or academic problems, i.e. daydreams, doesn’t pay attention, or is disruptive especially during listening activities
• Older child complains of ringing in ears after a concert or listening to music
• Complaints that people are mumbling

 Concerns about your child’s hearing?

Contact the

Thunder Bay District Health Unit Infant Hearing Program 

807-625-5922 or toll free at 1-888-294-6630

Music is Noise

Both music and noise cause vibrations in the ear and the ear cannot really tell the difference. This means that people listening to their Mp3 players may be exposing themselves to damaging noise levels for hours every day.

How you know the music is too loud?

• Your child cannot hear you talking to them with the music playing. They may remove the earphones to hear you
• You can hear your child’s music
• Your child needs to shout to talk to you
• Their Mp3 player is set higher than 60% of the maximum volume[

How to reduce hearing damage from Mp3 players

• Lower the volume. A good guide is 50% to 60% volume. Set the volume to a comfortable level in a quiet room. Do not turn it up in a noisy setting to block out background noise. 

• Limit listening time. 30 to 90 minutes should be the maximum, but remember the louder the volume, the shorter time you can safely listen to it.

• Use noise-canceling earphones. They limit the need to turn up the volume by blocking out the background noise.

• Set volume limit option on your Mp3 player. If yours does not come with this option, volume-limiting software can be installed. It allows the volume to be set at a maximum level.

Advice for your music listener  

• Nothing wrong with listening to your music, as long as you do it at a safe volume and in moderation.
• When your favourite song comes on, turn up the volume if you want, but turn it back down to 60% or less after it is over.
• Don’t listen using just one earphone. People naturally increase the volume when listening this way.
• The day after attending a concert, enjoy some quiet time and give your ears time to recover.
• Wear hearing protection when in noisy places (concerts, cutting the lawn, etc.).

For more information on noise-induced hearing loss:

Turn it to the Left                                            

www.TurnItToTheLeft.com

H.E.A.R.

www.hearnet.com

Sound Sense

www.soundsense.ca

Dangerous Decibels

www.dangerousdecibels.org

Canadian Hearing Society

www.chs.ca