With Christmas quickly approaching, many families will be debating what gifts to give their loved ones, with many parents going all out for toys this year.
But did you know that some of the most popular children's toys can produce obscenely high sound levels, which can harm your hearing?
With this in mind, experts are warning families to pay attention to toys that emit loud sounds this festive season to help prevent hearing loss.
By taking some simple precautions during the holiday season this year, you can have a happy and healthy end to the year. Below, Dr. Jenn Schumacher, expert audiologist at ReSound, has revealed which noises to be wary of this Christmas, as well as some top tips for hearing protection.
Which sounds can damage our hearing during the holiday season?
Children’s Toys
Christmas can be filled with new toys and presents that can make some loud noises.
Many parents may be unaware that some toys that emit sirens or loud music, such as instruments or trucks, can reach potentially dangerous levels for our hearing health.
Furthermore, once toys are removed from their packaging, they may emit even louder noises. It is important, therefore, that when you are shopping for toys this holiday season, you consider toys that have adjustable volumes or those that emit less harsh sounds. If a gifted toy is too loud once the child has already opened it and there isn’t a volume control, use two to three layers of clear masking tape over the loudspeaker to help reduce the volume.
Fireworks
Fireworks are often a staple part of many celebrations during the festive period, whether that's part of New Year's celebrations, Thanksgiving, or Christmas itself.
But while the big bangs and bursts of color may be pleasing to the eye, the loud sounds they make when they explode can reach dangerous levels that, if you are standing too close without hearing protection, can cause immediate permanent hearing damage or loss.
If you are going to attend fireworks displays this year, it is important that you wear hearing protection such as earmuffs or earplugs, and you make sure that you stand a safe distance from the launch site. If you want something sparkly to commemorate the festive season, you could also always use quieter alternatives, such as sparklers.
Parties and Gatherings
It's not really the holiday season without a festive party or two with friends and family, now is it?
Though they bring a collective atmosphere of joy, it is important to be weary of the sound levels parties and gatherings can reach. With lots of people in one area, coupled with music often playing too, it can be loud enough to cause tinnitus or reduced hearing the next day. While these effects are typically temporary, enough exposures of loud sound like this can lead to permanent tinnitus and hearing loss.
Concerts and Music Events
Concerts and music events can really help to illuminate the holiday season, whether that's attending a work Christmas social or seeing one of your favourite artists whip out some of your favorite festive tunes.
But more often than not, music at these events is played too loudly, which can damage your hearing. It is therefore important that when attending music events this festive season that you take regular breaks from the noise and use hearing protection. Specialized earplugs, often called musician’s plugs, contain filters inside the earpiece that prevent the music from distorting, while still being presented at a softer level that’s safer for hearing.
What can you do to keep your hearing healthy?
1. Wear hearing protection
It goes without saying, but when exposed to loud noise, you should always wear hearing protection where possible. There are a range of hearing protection options available, from earmuffs to more discrete ear plugs. Earplugs that insert into your ear canal can be purchased inexpensively over-the-counter or can be custom fitted to your ear with specialized filters for preventing sound distortion or active forms of noise cancellation.
There are two main options for this. Earmuffs, which cover the entire ear and fit closely against the head. They reduce the amount of noise exposure through the use of acoustic foam that seals against your head and tend to provide the most protection because they cover the entire ear.
They also provide this high level of protection without the need for customizing the fit to your specific ears, which is another advantage. Typically, earmuffs can be used alone to protect your ears from damage, but wearing them together with earplugs fitted inside the ear canals offers additional protection.
Earplugs fit inside the ear canal and come in a wide variety of styles and levels of hearing protection. There are a number of types you can use, including custom-made earplugs that ensure a more comfortable and snug (therefore safer) fit. If you’re not sure which type to opt for, make sure you speak to a hearing care professional to avoid damaging your hearing.
2. Keep sound level that allows conversations
Try to keep sound levels where you can have comfortable conversations with others. Generally, if music or sounds are so loud that you cannot comfortably speak to someone next to you, then it is too loud. Therefore, if you keep sound at a level that allows you to avoid raising your voice, then you are less likely to damage your hearing.
3. Keep a safe distance from loud noises
If you are attending a music event or watching fireworks this holiday season, it is key that you stay a safe distance away from where the sound is being emitted from. Whether that's a speaker playing music or the launch site of fireworks, if you can’t reduce the sound level with distance without leaving the event entirely, try to take breaks outside or away from the noise and/or wear hearing protection during the event.
4. Take regular breaks in quiet spaces
Even if you are wearing suitable hearing protection when attending holiday events this year, it is important that you give yourself regular breaks when exposed to loud noise. This will give your ears time to recover from loud volumes that they have been exposed to and, in turn, minimize any potential risk of hearing loss in the long run.
Hazardous noise isn’t just about the intensity level of the noise, but also the length of time you’re exposed to it. If you give yourself breaks, you’re reducing your overall noise exposure over time, which helps lower your risk of developing noise-induced hearing loss.
5. Have regular hearing tests
While protecting your ears with ear muffs or earplugs and taking regular breaks are essential for looking after your hearing, it is also really important that you schedule a hearing test or checkup with an audiologist if you’ve been exposed to loud noise this holiday season without hearing protection or if you suspect you may not be hearing as well as you used to.
An audiologist can help identify any early warning signs that your hearing may be damaged and can give you advice about protecting your hearing that fits your specific needs. They typically sell various custom and non-custom plugs.
Post courtesy of https://www.resound.com/en-us/
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