Download Protect Your Ears - Sag Harbor Elementary School

A “Budding” Problem
By Mrs. Midlam
Nearly everyone loves to listen to music. Music is great for the soul and it
is an important part of our lives here at Sag Harbor Elementary School! New
technology has allowed kids and adults alike to listen to music in a way that was
never available before in the form of an iPod or some other type of portable
listening gadget. Typically, listeners use earbuds, which fit directly into the ear,
when playing their iPods. Kids are using these listening devices at younger and
younger ages, and as wonderful as music is, these listening devices do cause some
potential risks.
Possible dangers have to due with Noise-Induced Hearing Loss. According
to the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA), 13 out of 100 school
children have some degree of hearing loss. Hearing loss can result from illness
and genetic diseases, but Noise-Induced Hearing Loss has gotten a lot of recent
attention and caused considerable worry due to the popularity of iPods and other
MP3 player devices. It is important to know that even minimal hearing loss can
affect a child's social interaction, communication skills, behavior, emotional
development, and academic performance.
The good news is that it’s not too late to curtail further hearing loss. It's
critical that children learn good listening habits, and that parents set guidelines
for headphone usage, monitor noise levels, and watch for warning signs of
hearing loss. Here are three simple steps you can take to protect your children's –
and your own – hearing.
1. Keep the volume down. A good guide is half volume.
2. Limit listening time. Give your hearing "quiet breaks."
3. Upgrade your earbuds, which sit inside the ear, and frequently come with the
purchase of a portable music player, to earphones that fit outside the ear and
block out unwanted sound.
4. Teach your children to know when loud is too loud. It's too loud if...
 You must raise your voice to be heard.
 You have difficulty understanding someone who's an arm's length away.
 You have pain, ringing or buzzing in your ears after exposure to loud
sounds.
 Speech sounds muffled or dull after noise exposure.
Please remember to take care of your hearing; because once you lose it, you can’t
get it back!
For more information go to http://www.listentoyourbuds.org or
http://www.asha.org.