Noise is all around you, from televisions and radios to lawn mowers and washing machines. Harmful sounds - sounds that are too loud or loud sounds over a long time - can damage sensitive structures of the inner ear and cause noise-induced hearing loss.
More than 30 million people in the U.S. are exposed to hazardous sound levels on a regular basis. Hazardous sound levels are louder than 80 decibels, which isn't as loud as traffic on a busy street. Listening to loud music, especially on headphones, is a common cause of noise-induced hearing loss. Keeping the volume down when listening to music and wearing earplugs when using loud equipment can help protect your hearing.
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
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Hearing: Noise-Induced Hearing Loss(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/safety/work/226.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/healthy/safety/work/226.printerview.html
- Noise Meter(National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/noise/abouthlp/noisemeter_flash/soundMeter_flash.html
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Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
(National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) - http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/noise.asp
Also available in Spanish http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/spanish/noise_span.asp
- Noise is Difficult to Define(American Speech-Language-Hearing Association) - http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/disorders/noise.htm
- EU Warns Youth: Turn Your MP3 Players Down!(10/13/2008, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_70343.html
- Choose the Hearing Protection That's Right for You(National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) - http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/noise/abouthlp/chooseprotection.html
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Have WISE EARS! for Life: Protect Yourself and Your Family from Noise-Induced Hearing Loss(National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) - http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/wiseears.asp
Also available in Spanish http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/spanish/wiseears_span.asp
- Noise and Hearing Loss Prevention: Frequently Asked Questions(National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) - http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/noise/faq/faq.html
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Lessons in Shooter Safety(National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) - http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/wise/shooter.asp
- NIOSH Power Tools Database(National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) - http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/noise/workplacesolutions/toolsDatabase.html
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Wise Ears! At Work(National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) - http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/wise/wiseears_atwork.asp
Also available in Spanish http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/spanish/atwork_span.asp
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Noise(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Noise%22
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: A novel PACU design for noise reduction. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18657757&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Sound spectral analysis in the intensive care nursery: measuring high-frequency... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18638675&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: On the auditory and cognitive functions that may explain an... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18569101&tool=MedlinePlus
- Noise -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=noise[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(jsubsetn[text]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+review[pt]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Noise induced hearing loss -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=hearing+loss,noise-induced[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
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National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health - http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/
Also available in Spanish http://www.cdc.gov/spanish/niosh/
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National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders - http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/
- Noise and Hearing Conservation Standards(Occupational Safety and Health Administration) - http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/noisehearingconservation/standards.html
- Can Loud Music Hurt My Ears?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/qa/rock_music.html
- Hearing Disorders and Deafness - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/hearingdisordersanddeafness.html
- Occupational Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/occupationalhealth.html
- Ear, Nose and Throat - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/earnoseandthroat.html
- Poisoning, Toxicology, Environmental Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/poisoningtoxicologyenvironmentalhealth.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Noise is the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders - http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/