Hearing Health Tips for You and Your Child

Posted on December 30 2011, 5:33:44 PM | Posted by jtcweb

The world around us is louder than ever and hearing loss can happen gradually or suddenly.  It’s important to protect your hearing and that of your children.  Here are a few simple ways you can promote good hearing health in your family:

• Schedule hearing tests for you and your children.
• Stay away from loud noises whenever possible.  When it can’t be avoided, wear earplugs when exposed to extremely loud noises like a rock band.  Even just 30 minutes of exposure can damage your hearing.
• Don’t listen to your iPod or other devices at a loud volume.  If you spend a lot of time using earbuds, try using hearing protection headphones instead, such as noise-cancellation headphones, that sit over the ears.
• Move away from the source. Noise may damage your hearing if you are close to a sound source, or have to shout to make yourself heard.  You have overexposed yourself if your ears ring, or you have difficulty hearing for several hours after exposure to the noise.
• Try not to use several noisy machines at the same time.
• Curtains, drapes, and carpets can be sound-absorbing and help dampen sounds around the home, at work or even at school.  
• Avoid putting anything in your ears.  Our grandmothers were right . . . never stick anything smaller than your elbow in your ear.

Contributed by JTC Parent/Infant Teacher, Cat Mathes, M.S. Ed, LSLS Cert. AVT

 

Bulletin | Winter 2011 |

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