Yikes! Only Eight Percent of US Adults Consistently Use Hearing Protectors at Loud Events

Newsletter Winter 2019

The Latest from Have You Heard? Yikes! Only Eight Percent of U.S. Adults Consistently Use Hearing Protectors at Loud Events According to a 2018 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only eight percent of US adults say that they regularly wear hearing protectors at loud athletic and entertainment events.  Read more > More from Have You Heard? How is Sound Measured? Many factors influence how loud a sound seems. One easily measured factor is sound intensity, or volume, which is measured in decibels. A-weighted decibels, or “dBA,” are often used to describe sound level recommendations for healthy listening.  Read more > Line Up! To Reverse Hearing Loss, New Hair Cells Need to Stand in Formation Scientists have been studying how to regrow damaged hair cells to restore hearing. Replacing hair cells might not be enough—to function properly, new hair cells also need to be organized in a specific way. Read more > In the Community Spread hearing health messages in your community! Updated Noisy Planet fact sheets are now available for downloading (in PDF format) and special orders. Focus group testing with parents and Noisy Planet partners helped us to update our publications with new designs that highlight current science on noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). The publications are tailored to meet the needs of Noisy Planet’s target audiences: How Does Noise Damage Your Hearing? (also available in Spanish) Learn how your hearing works and how you can damage your hearing with sounds that are too loud. Discover activities that can cause NIHL, and ways to teach kids to protect their hearing. How Loud is Too Loud? (also available in Spanish) How can you tell if sounds around you are too loud? How can you measure sound? How can you protect your hearing? Get the facts, plus tips for teaching kids about healthy hearing habits. How Loud is Too Loud? Bookmark (also available in Spanish) This educational bookmark lists the estimated decibel levels of devices, vehicles, and activities and advises on how to protect your hearing. When It’s Loud, Protect Your Hearing: Sound Advice for Young Ears (also available in Spanish) Tells kids why and how to protect their hearing, with photos of hearing protectors. Learning is reinforced with a crossword puzzle on hearing. Parents, teachers, and hearing health professionals can use this in the home, classroom, or office. It’s a great supplement to our Teacher Toolkit. World Hearing Day, March 3 The World Health Organization is promoting World Hearing Day (external link) on March 3 to draw attention to the importance of early identification and intervention for hearing loss. WHO points out that many people live with unidentified hearing loss, and that checking your hearing is the first step toward addressing the issue. A key message for World Hearing Day is to encourage people who are at higher risk for hearing loss to have their hearing checked. These include older adults and people exposed to loud noise inside or outside of the workplace. Learn about preventing noise-induced hearing loss with resources from Noisy Planet. As part of the World Hearing Day campaign, WHO will also launch a free app—HearWHO—that allows people to check their hearing.  Featured Shareable Images Make safe listening part of your game plan for the Super Bowl and for all loud sporting events. Share this image on social media. Share this image on Facebook Share this image on Twitter Show your ears some love this Valentine's Day! Share this image on social media. Share this image on Facebook Share this image on Twitter