1. Protecting Your Hearing Raising Awareness About Excessive Noise

2. sound? What is sound? Vibrations or waves that move through the air or water. Caused by molecules bumping into each other. The faster a wave vibrates, the higher the sound; slower waves produce low sound Our voice produces sound because of vocal cords in our throat that vibrate when air is forced through them.

3. The Human Ear The ear is divided into 3 parts: -The outer ear or pinna, funnels sound waves into the ear canal, which will lead to the eardrum. This is a membrane that stretches across the entrance to the middle ear.

4. The Human Ear -The middle ear has three tiny bones, the hammer, the anvil, and the stirrup. This is where waves become amplified.

5. The Human Ear Inside the inner ear is a coiled tube called the cochlea. It is filled with fluid, special “hair cells,” and nerve endings. It signals the brain, which lets you know what sound you heard. You will also find the semicircular canals which help control balance

6. Hearing Loss Sensory Hearing Loss Caused by damage to the tiny hair cells in the cochlea. It is permanent. –Most common causes: Aging Loud noises. This damage is preventable!!

7. Noise and Its Effect on Hearing Sounds are measured in decibels (dB). Very high levels cause damage to your hearing Hearing loss due to loud noises is common in children, adolescents, and adults

8. Noise Levels and Time to Permanent Hearing loss Continuous sound levelPermissible Exposure Time 85 dB8 hours 88 dB4 hours 91 dB2 hours 94 dB1 hour 97 dB30 minutes 100 dB15 minutes 103 dB7.5 minutes 106 dBLess than 4 minutes 109 dBLess than 2 minutes 112 dBLess than 1 minute

9. Examples of Sound Levels in Our Environment Listening to music on earphones at volume level 5, the sound reaches a level of 100 dB, loud enough to cause permanent damage after just 15 minutes per day!

10. Loud Noises Around San Antonio Above 85 decibels Band practice, football games, video arcades Above 100 decibels Pep rallies, rock concerts

11. More Examples of Things That Cause Too Much Noise Target shooting Hunting Woodworking Shop tools Video Games and arcades Movie theaters Snowmobiling Power boating Hair dryers Blenders Vacuum cleaners Garbage disposals Gas-powered lawn mowers and string trimmers Leaf blowers Musical concerts Sports events

12. The Warning Signs of Noise Induced Hearing Loss Hearing loss and tinnitus may be experienced in one or both ears, and may happen all the time, or only occasionally throughout a lifetime.

13. Who Is Affected by Noise- Induced Hearing Loss? More than 28 million Americans have some degree of hearing loss…. including: –Children –Adolescents –Young adults –Older people Over 5 million 6 – 19 year-olds have hearing loss directly related to noise exposure.

14. How do I protect my ears from loud noise? Turn it down!! Walk away!! Wear ear plugs!!

15. Where to Go for More Information Crank It Down! National Hearing Conservation Association www.hearingconservation.org Dangerous Decibels Oregon Hearing Research Center www.dangerousdecibels.org