Noise exposure starts the day we are born. Infants in the neonatal intensive care unit are exposed to a great deal of noise from machinery to loud voices. As I have written before, noisy toys can be a problem. Hold the toy up to your face and listen to it. Does it seem loud to you? If it does, don’t use it. Noise is cumulative. If you have several toys making noise at the same time, not only is it overwhelming but it can make an acceptable toy too loud. If you go out to eat with … [Read more...]
Archives for February 2016
Noise impacts Quality of Life
As an audiologist, I see the world a little differently than most people. I am more aware of the noise around me and the devastating effect that it can have on our quality of life. By the time I see a new patient, the damage has already been done. Noise induced hearing loss is avoidable. Noise exposure should be addressed from birth on. We tend to think of noise as being an exposure at work. This is a very small part of the problem. We experience far more noise in our day to day living … [Read more...]