Hearing is something that most people take for granted. Humans are quite noisy. And much of the noise we've created can cause permanent damage to our ears and our hearing. According to the World Health Organization, 1.1 billion young people aged 12-35 are at risk for hearing loss due to recreational exposure to loud sounds. Blasting sounds into our ears for even a short amount of time can potentially lead to noise-induced hearing loss, the fastest growing cause of hearing loss and deafness. Rock musicians and athletes are coming forward with news of their own hearing loss, and even deafness, caused by the volume of their own music and sports arenas, extolling the dangers of exposure to loud sounds. And once the damage is done, it is permanent. According to the WHO, hearing loss is one of the greatest health threats of our time. If left untreated, hearing loss can lead to mental illness, dementia, and other health problems.
Everywhere we go, we are exposed to sound, much of it at deafening levels. Jet engines. Motorcycles. Sirens. Traffic noise. Radio. TV. Video games. Restaurant chatter (and music). Concerts. Sporting Events. Movies. Ear buds. Headphones. Lawn mowers. Leaf blowers. School assemblies. Pep rallies. Trains. Subways, industrial work places..... And the time spent hearing these things before we damage our ears is surprisingly short. This video shows how much time exposure is allowable before hearing loss can occur with some of these everyday sounds.
My sudden sensorineural hearing loss is idiopathic, possibly caused by a virus or genetics. I will never know for sure. But after my hearing loss, my husband decided to have his own hearing checked and found that he is one of those billions whose hearing was affected by exposure to loud sound. Repeated exposure to jet engine noise at his workplace (even with ear plugs) has left him with tinnitus and moderate hearing loss in the middle decibel range.
On May 1, Better Speech and Hearing Month kicks off with “See Sound Differently" campaign. Please join me by taking the #MillionEar Challenge to raise awareness of the dangers of environmental sound and learn to "See Sound Differently". By sharing the news on social media, you will be helping to fund research by the Hearing Health Foundation that helps millions of ears every year.
Learn more about this year’s campaign: https://bit.ly/2KeZ8nF.
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