May is National Speech and Hearing Month

 

By: Linda Baxter, Speech Pathologist

 

Do you wear ear protection when you’re involved in loud activities? We can’t replace our hearing and we don’t want to lose any hearing. It’s important to keep the hearing we have by wearing ear protection. The decibel level is how sound is measured. It amazes people when they find out how loud our everyday life is. Let me give you some examples.

Decibels

• whispered voice
• refrigerator humming
• normal conversation
• city traffic noise
• lawn mower, motorcycle
• wood shop
• chainsaw
• boom cars, snowmobiles
• firecrackers

What Happens?

90 Prolonged exposure to any noise above 90 decibels can cause gradual hearing loss

100 No more than 15 minutes of unprotected exposure is recommended

110 Regular exposure of more than 1 minute risks permanent hearing loss

 

For more questions, call 1-800-241-1044