Transcript Noise-Induced

Noise-Induced
Hearing Loss
What is Noise?
• Noise is a sound you don’t want to hear,
like
• The fire alarm at school
• Construction equipment or
• Your mom yelling at you to clean your
room!
Noises are
measured in
decibels
Noises louder than
85 decibels (dB) can
permanently damage your
hearing
Some of these dangerous noises
are not surprising…
• Jackhammer
(110 dB)
• Rock Concert
(120 dB)
• Ambulance
(125 dB)
• Gun shot
(130 dB)
• Airplane taking off (140
dB)
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…but others are unexpected!
Lawnmower
(85-90 dB)
Hairdryer
(85-90 dB)
Motorcycle
(90 dB)
Washing
Machine (80 dB)
ipod at full volume
(120 dB)
Baby Screaming
(110 dB)
How does damage
happen?
Understanding how your
ears work
can help you understand
what makes them
stop working
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The part of the
ear you can see
is called the
outer ear.
The outer ear
collects sound
and
funnels it to the
middle ear (the
part of the ear
you can’t see).
The middle ear delivers sound to the inner ear…
Inner Ear
Sound
comes in
Middle
Ear
where it is changed into a signal that
the brain can recognize.
www.thebrainconnection.com C. 1999 Scientific Learning Corporation
This way
to the
brain!
Let’s take a closer look at
what happens inside the
middle and inner ear:
Eardrum
When sound waves reach the eardrum, it vibrates.
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These vibrations pass
through the three bones in
the middle ear
1
Middle Ear
Bones
2
3
Eardrum
These 3 bones are the smallest bones in your body!
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The smallest bone (called the
Stirrup) moves rapidly against the
window of the inner ear.
Middle Ear
Bones
Stirrup
Eardrum
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This motion creates waves in
the fluid of the inner ear.
Middle Ear
Bones
Stirrup
Inner
Ear
Eardrum
Fluid
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The inner ear (shown in blue)
has two parts:
The Semi-Circular
Canals
The Cochlea
www.thebrainconnection.com C. 1999 Scientific Learning Corporation
The Cochlea
looks like a
snail shell and
is about the
size of a pea.
The Cochlea is filled with fluid
and lined with tiny hairs
Vibrating Stirrup
Bone
When the Stirrup bone makes waves
in the fluid, the little hairs convert
those waves into electrical impulses.
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The electrical impulses are carried to your
brain by the Auditory Nerve and …
Inner Ear
Sound
comes in
Middle
Ear
your brain understands the signal
and
you hear!
www.thebrainconnection.com C. 1999 Scientific Learning Corporation
This way
to the
brain!
Your ear is a fragile
instrument, and can be
easily damaged.
Exposure to loud noise is one of the
most common ways damage happens.
Noise-Induced Hearing Loss is
caused by
• Being exposed one time to a
very loud sound, or
• Being exposed to sounds over
and over that are too loud
It is not possible to
“toughen up” your ears
by listening to loud
sounds!
What happens inside your ear when a
noise is too loud?
Tiny hairs
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The tiny hairs inside
the inner ear are
broken.
Now they can’t send sound
signals to your brain!
If too many tiny hairs get damaged,
you
Huh?
I can’t
hear you
will
find
yourself
saying
Could you
speak up
please?
What?
A LOT!
So how can you keep your ears
hearing properly?
Avoid hazardous
sound environments.
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If you must raise your voice to be heard,
you are in a potentially dangerous
environment for your hearing.
Walk away
from loud
noises.
Cross the street when
you hear someone
operating a leaf
blower.
Cover your ears with your hands when walking past a
jackhammer.
Don’t stand by
the source.
If it is not possible to get away
from the noise
completely, limit its
intensity by not
standing
directly
near its
source.
Move away from
speakers, monitors or amplifiers.
Limit the time.
If you are in a loud
environment, take
frequent 15-minute
"quiet" breaks.
Wear
protection.
Wear earplugs or protective headphones
when you’re around sounds of 85 dB and above.
Turn down
the
volume.
Turn down
your
CD/cassette
player,
stereo or
iPod.
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Help Others
Cover the
ears of
young
children.
Tell your
family and
friends
about the
dangers of
loud noise.
Doing these things will help keep
your ears healthy and strong!
THE END
Clip Art Sources
www.nasaexplores.com
www.kidshealth.org
www.thebrainconnection.com
www.hearingcentral.com
www.bsip.com
www.nascar.com
www.wallcoo.net