The human ear is an amazing thing. So many parts work together seamlessly to transmit the sound waves that move through the atmosphere into signals that the brain can interpret. The tiniest three bones in the body, the hammer, anvil and stirrup, each do their part to bring you the music and voices you love. Even smaller are the miniscule hairs, called cilia, inside the cochlea which move back and forth as sound waves pass over them, each creating nerve impulses that are necessary to our hearing function.
What many people do not realize is that these cilia can be damaged by the sound they are designed to pick up. This damage is called acoustic trauma. The very waves that pass over these nearly microscopic hairs can cause damage over time, or can even break the cilia in a single loud burst. This damage cannot be repaired. It causes permanent hearing loss. Therefore, it is your job, as a parent, to protect your kids’ ears and preserve their hearing the best you can. Here are a few places where your kids may need special ear protection.
Around loud music
Whether listening to music through earphones, on a car stereo or at a concert, your kids could be doing damage to their hearing if the volume is too loud. Talk to them about the dangers of permanent hearing loss, and monitor their volume when they listen to music at home. Don’t let them ride with people who play music at dangerous levels, and give them ear plugs to dampen the sound if they are going to a concert.
At the movies
Movie theaters can have excessively loud volume, especially during action films. Make sure your child has some tissue or ear plugs to dampen the sound at a theater, just in case.
Around motor sports
I’ve never taken my kids to the races, but I have heard the roaring engines as I drove by a raceway on the highway at night. Sitting in the stands can be deafening. Don’t even think of letting your child go to the races without ear plugs.
At an air show
I have taken my kids to air shows, and they are a lot of fun. But they, too, can be extremely loud. Especially when the old war birds come roaring by. Again, ear plugs are the way to go for this sort of noise.
At a parade
I love a parade, but the noise from the bands and the fire engines can be frighteningly loud. If your child is not old enough to cover their own ears when loud entries pass by, make sure you cover them instead. If your small children outnumber the hands available to cover little ears, consider ear plugs or skip the parades until your kids are older. The decibels can be just that damaging.
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