• In Virginia, hearing loss affects more people than heart disease,
cancer and blindness combined.
• 10% of Virginians have a hearing loss.
• 25% of Virginians over the age of 60 are hearing impaired.
• About 22 million Americans suffer from hearing impairments. Over
half of these people have not had their hearing problems corrected.
• Hearing loss can affect anyone at any age, yet in many cases, hearing loss can
be improved.
• Sensorineural Hearing Loss (nerve deafness) is the most common, preventable
cause of irreversible hearing loss and its main cause is NOISE damage.
• Hearing loss, while seldom life threatening, is one of today’s most
socially debilitating ailments effectively isolating a person within a full room of
friends.
• Exposure to loud noise is the most common, preventable cause of irreversible
hearing loss.
• Exposure may be occupational, recreational, may occur around the home, or may be
environmental. Regardless of the source, or the age of the person exposed, loud noise can
seriously damage the inner ear, causing permanent hearing loss.
• Noise levels of 90db or higher will damage your hearing permanently.
• Noise is TOO loud if a person must raise his voice to be heard at a
normal conversational distance.
• Noise is TOO loud if you experience ringing in your ears after exposure.
• Noise is TOO loud if your hearing is muffled temporarily after exposure
to loud noise.
• Whether a noise will damage your ears is not only dependent on its intensity,
but also on how long one is exposed to it.
For example: you could use a small lawn mower for 4-6 hours per day and not suffer
permanent damage, whereas exposure to large tractor noise for 1-2 hours or to a chain saw
for only 15-30 minutes, or to a single gun blast, will cause serious injury to the inner
ear hair cells which are vital for transforming sound waves into electrical signals for
the brain; without these hair cells a person suffers permanent hearing loss.
• A person must realize the significant danger loud noise poses for the ear. It
must also be appreciated that the hearing loss, due to noise, can occur slowly over years,
but that it IS permanent.
• If noise cannot be avoided, hearing protectors should be used. The best
protectors are ear muffs, which can be purchased in most sporting goods stores. Ear plugs,
or custom-made ear molds can also be used and are effective. However, for ANY
protector to be effective, it MUST be worn!
