NEW YORK, Jul 04 (Reuters Health) - Though dazzling to the eyes, fireworks
displays can be murder to the ears, hearing-health advocates say. According to
the Deafness Research Foundation, holiday revelers should pack some earplugs
along with their hot dogs and apple pie before heading to Fourth of July
celebrations.
Fireworks and holiday concerts and parades supply a heavy dose of the "toxic
noise" that can damage hearing, according to the Foundation, which is sponsoring
the National Campaign for Hearing Health. Noise from fireworks and firecrackers
can hit levels of 190 decibels, which is well above the 85-decibel safety
threshold. By comparison, according to the DRF, sirens register at 120 dB, and
the noise in airplane cabins reaches about 100 dB.
Of the more than 28 million cases of hearing loss in the United States,
about 10 million are at least partially due to toxic noise, according to the
DRF. Exposure to loud noises kills the ear's sensory hair cells; people's
lifetime number of hair cells is set at birth, at 30,000.
"When hair cells in the ear, the sensory organs that allow us to hear, are
killed by exposure to loud noises, they cannot be regenerated," said Dr. Robert
Dobie of the National Institute on Deafness and other Communications Disorders.
"The result is hearing damage, and, in some cases, permanent hearing loss.
Without proper protection, anyone exposed to loud noise could be at risk of
hearing loss."
According to the Foundation, daily ways to ward off hearing loss include:
wearing earplugs when around any loud noises such as fireworks, lawn mowers, or
concerts; using the fingers as earplugs when "ambushed" by sudden loud noises;
lowering the volume when listening to music or watching television; and getting
regular hearing tests.
Free earplugs are available from the Campaign, either through their Web site
www.hearinghealth.net, or by calling 1-800-829-5934.
