The sounds we hear

Do you hear those loud sounds? Do those sounds hurt your ears? Yes, but what can I do about those loud sounds? Fire trucks as they rush to a fire or some emergency. Ambulances as they hurry down the road to an emergency. Trains traveling the rails taking their loads to many destinations. The loud noise the crowd makes at a sporting event. Jets flying overhead as they take people to many destinations.
Do any of these loud noises have any effect on our hearing? Yes, they do. Millions of people around the world are born every year with no hearing. Deafness includes people of all ages including babies. Millions lose their hearing due to many other reasons. Do you think the above loud noises can cause people to lose their hearing? These noises and a lot more contribute to hearing loss.
What can be done? What about these loud noises? Don’t we need sirens to let people know that vehicles making these loud noises are in the area or passing through? How would we stop crowds from making loud cheers for their teams? Maybe we should have ear plugs so as soon as we start to hear these loud noises we can plug our ears. Great idea, but not practical. If people realized some of the everyday loud noises that can affect hearing in a negative way, maybe they could prevent possible hearing loss.
Here are examples of common sound decibels and how long it is safe before you need to put plugs in your ears, stop the noise, or get far away from the noise to protect your hearing.
Snoring — 85 decibels — 8 hours
Lawn mower: 90 decibels — 2 hours
Power Tools — 100 decibels — 15 minutes
Snowmobiles — 110 decibels — 2 minutes
Rock Concert/ Sports Stadium — 120 decibels — 15 seconds
Ambulance Siren — 130 decibels — 0 seconds
Fire Crackers — 140 decibels — 0 seconds
Gunshot — 165 decibels — 0 seconds
There are many more sounds such as whispers, rain, dishwashers, and washing machines to name a few. Most people could make a list of annoying sounds and not realize the damage they might make to their hearing. We all need to be educated on sounds, and the impact they have on our hearing.
Think about the sounds around you and be mindful to protect yourself against the loss of one of our most important senses — the sense of hearing.
K-M Lions Bob Melin and John Todor are members of the Kasson-Mantorville Lions Club. They are also trustees on the Minnesota Lions Hearing Foundation Board. As trustees, they are interested in sharing ways to prevent hearing loss.