Sounds Of the Season Is Your Hearing In Jeopardy?

By Hearing Professionals

There are so many joyous sounds of the holiday season sleigh bells, caroling and laughter. However, some of the holiday's noises could be costing you your hearing.

Take children's toys for example. Some toys are so loud that they can cause permanent hearing loss after only a few minutes of exposure. A toy car with horns and sirens or talking dolls can emit sounds of more than 90 decibels, as loud as a lawnmower workers would be required to wear hearing protection for similar noise levels on the job.

The louder the sound, the less time it takes to cause hearing damage. For instance, a sound at 85 decibels may take as long as eight hours to cause permanent (and preventable) hearing loss while a sound at 100 decibels takes only 15 minutes to cause permanent damage.

Now, take into account the short arm span of a child or the fact that children often put toys up to their face and ears, and the noisy toy is actually exposing their little ears to as much as 120 decibels the equivalent of a jet plane taking off.

Think about noise level when purchasing toys for a child If it sounds loud to you, it will be too loud for the child. Buy toys that have volume control allowing you to regulate how loud the toy can get. Avoid buying toys that have a warning that they should not be close to the ears.

If you are trying to reduce the volume of toys your child already has, put masking tape or duct tape over the speaker or remove the batteries.

If you're unsure about the toys your child is asking for, the Sight and Hearing Association publishes a list on their website each November of the noisiest toys on the market (just in time for holiday shopping).

Another holiday noise culprit that could be damaging your hearing large group settings such as family gatherings or holiday parties you know, the ones where everyone has to talk over each other or the music or the restaurant noise to hear themselves think.

During the holidays, people make a trip to “The Nutcracker” or “Christmas Carol” or participate in caroling events this too could cause some damage to your hearing. While you can't always measure the exact decibel level in these situations, you can bring a set of earplugs to use if it becomes too loud or you can step out for a few minutes to give your ears a break.

Signs that it could be too loud

Your ears hurt.

You're experiencing ringing in the ears (tinnitus).

It's necessary to shout over the noise.

You have a hard time hearing for a few hours after the noise exposure.

Remember noise-induced hearing loss is preventable so be mindful of the volume around you this holiday season. If you think you may have a hearing loss or would like to know what your hearing capabilities are (a baseline), call your local audiologist for a hearing test.