Noise Pollution and Hearing Loss

Noise Pollution in America has increased tremendously since the invention of high wattage compact disc players and amplifiers. The use of large sub woofers and amplifiers is becoming increasingly more popular. The loud boom of bass while traveling form point a. to point b. has become such a common occurrence that it is ignored. The American Society is in grave danger of permanently damaging its hearing without even realizing that it is happening.

One of the contributing factors to the noise pollution problem lives in our workplace and construction sites. With the many different construction jobs going on everyday around the globe, and the use of heavy equipment that emits very loud noises into the atmosphere, hearing damage can be a very serious threat to the American Society. The use of heavy equipment such as jackhammers, digging machines and grinders without wearing the proper ear protection can cause permanent irreversible damage to the human ear.

Another contributing factor to the noise pollution problem lies inside of our automobiles. Getting a high tech car audio system with all the bass and high treble may sound like a cool new trend, but in the future there might not be much sound to hear. Irreversible damage to the ear is something that no one anticipates, but is occurring more and more frequently as a result of loud car audio.

Another contributing factor in certain people is a shooting a firearm without the proper hearing protection. When a gun is fired, a very loud explosion occurs inside the barrel of the gun. The noise pollution levels can be extremely high, and proper ear protection must be worn at all times when using a firearm. If the proper ear protection is not used when firing a firearm, it will not be long before the shooter will possibly need the assistance of a hearing aid device to hear.

In a country with so many different noise pollution threats, the use of earplugs during the correct circumstances should be a high priority. If Americans wish to hear each other clearly when they become older, the use of hearing protection, and the awareness of noise pollution should be a high priority. There are many ways to cut down on noise pollution. Simply not purchasing the loud sub woofers and high wattage amplifiers when searching for a car audio system, or at least listening to them at a lower volume and in moderation. Using the proper hearing protection when operating heavy equipment is also a must.