Noise Summary Noise is all around you, from televisions and radios to lawn mowers and washing machines. Normally, you hear these sounds at safe levels that don’t affect hearing. But sounds that are too loud or loud sounds over a long time are harmful. They can damage sensitive structures of the inner ear and cause noise-induced hearing loss. More than 30 million Americans are exposed to hazardous sound levels on a regular basis. Hazardous sound levels are louder than 80 decibels. That’s not as loud as traffic on a busy street. Listening to loud music, especially on headphones, is a common cause of noise-induced hearing loss. You can protect your hearing by Keeping the volume down when listening to music Wearing earplugs when using loud equipment NIH: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Array Acoustic trauma Hearing loss and music Children Can Loud Music Hurt My Ears? Nemours Foundation Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Noise National Institutes of Health Start Here Hearing: Noise-Induced Hearing Loss American Academy of Family Physicians Listen Up! Noises Can Damage Your Hearing National Institutes of Health Noise Pollution Environmental Protection Agency Noise-Induced Hearing Loss National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders NIH MedlinePlus Magazine High Price of Noise Exposure How Loud is Too Loud? How Loud Is Too Loud? Reference Desk How the Ear Works American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Find an Expert National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Statistics and Research Noise and Hearing Loss Prevention: Facts and Statistics Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Prevention and Risk Factors Noise and Hearing Protection American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Teenagers Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Journal Articles Noise Noise induced hearing loss Latest News 1 in 8 U.S. Workers Has Some Hearing Loss: CDC HealthDay Earplugs Help Prevent Hearing Loss Tied to Loud Concerts HealthDay
