Hearing Health & Safety - Preventing Hearing Damage & Loss
Some environments may be too loud for the average person, and can subsequently result in hearing impairment. Teenagers should be cautious of their hearing health in environments including, yet not limited to:
- Movie theaters
- Traffic
- Around some machines and appliances
Overuse of electronic devices can also result in noise-induced damage and hearing loss. Teenagers should be cautious when using:
- Personal music players/ earbuds (Small size does not mean small damage. Even small ear buds can damage the ear; the damage is in the noise volume.)
- Video games
- Television sets
According to the American Speech-Language Hearing Association, teenagers should visit their doctor if they experience any of the following symptoms:
- You feel that people mumble or that their speech is not clear, or you hear only parts of conversations when people are talking.
- You often ask people to repeat what they said.
- Friends or family tell you that you don't seem to hear very well.
- You don't laugh at jokes because you miss too much of the story.
- You need to ask others about the details of a class or meeting you attended.
- People say that you play music or your TV too loudly.
- You can't hear the doorbell or telephone.
If you don't have a doctor and live in northern New Jersey, you can call the Adolescent/Young Adult Center for Health at 973-971-5199 for an appointment with an adolescent medicine specialist. You can also contact your local teen health center or your insurance company for a list of in-network providers.
