1.
Audiology & Hearing Aids Of The Woodlands|
(281) 882-3797|
http://woodlandshearingaids.com
Discover
more
great
content
here:
https://twitter.com/woodlandshearin
http://www.youtube.com/woodlandshearing
https://www.facebook.com/montgomeryhearingaids
http://www.pinterest.com/woodlandshearin
PARENTAL GUIDE TO AVOIDING HEARING
DAMAGE FROM BAND PARTICIPATION
Roughly 6 million teens in the United States suffer some type of loss of hearing,
and this number has risen dramatically over the last twenty years. In addition to
the use of high-volume MP3 players and mobile phones, authorities say that
teenagers’ involvement in marching band is another possible reason for damage
to hearing. Marching band is a favorite activity for teenagers, as bands are
available in almost all large high schools and in virtually every university.
Harmful sound levels for teens. Noise levels are measured in decibels, also
written as dB. Children and adults can suffer hearing loss from exposure to
sounds over 85 dB. Marching band includes a variety of instruments, some of
which easily cross over that threshold
during rehearsals and performances. An
experiment at Duke University showed that
a drumline rehearsal exposed students to
decibel levels of 99 over a 30-minute
period. What can be even more damaging
than playing those instruments on the field
is playing indoors for rehearsals.
Sometimes teens don’t want to reduce the
volume of their instruments just because
they are inside.
Strategies for hearing protection and hearing loss prevention. An effective
solution for reducing sound levels is the use of musicians earplugs. Musicians
earplugs are custom-designed to fit an individual’s ear perfectly. However,
parents often find them to be expensive. Shorter rehearsal sessions are another
good approach to protecting teens hearing, because it breaks up the time for
which they are exposed to potentially damaging decibel levels. Increased
awareness among teens and bandleaders of the importance of reducing
instrument sound levels when playing indoors is also key. To best protect the
hearing of marching band members, a joint effort between students, band
leaders, and parents is recommended.