October is “Protect Your Hearing Month.” There are several reasons why this particular October I was struck by the need to raise awareness about hearing loss and the importance of recognizing that hearing is an absolute gift, and one that should be cherished and, indeed, protected. One of the classes that I am taking this semester of my senior year is entitled “Auditory Perception Laboratory.” The course focuses upon the manner in which we use our sense of hearing to comprehend the world around us. In the first few weeks of the class, we have recorded and analyzed sounds. In a thought-provoking assignment, we were asked to compare and rate the loudness of sounds. Even more challenging was the task of listening to a series of sounds and attempting to describe them in terms that others might comprehend and appreciate. I was drawn to this class because I’ve spent the last several years working in a number of infant language labs, and I was hoping to explore more deeply the connection between language and hearing.

Just last week, I found myself in a situation that is no doubt all too common among young people who have yet to entertain the notion that their hearing could be compromised. I was sitting in a coffee shop, and a student was seated nearby, wearing ear buds. The volume at which he was playing his music was so high that anyone seated within several feet of him would have been able to appreciate the lyrics. The difference between listening to music from equipment in a room rather than ear buds that are literally plugged directly into your ears is that the room’s surroundings, its carpet, furniture, even the walls themselves, absorb the sound and minimize its impact.

We are reminded so often about other dangers in our lives. Most of us would never think to drive a car without buckling our seatbelt, hop on a bike or motorcycle without a helmet, or use power tools without safety goggles. Yet, we seem to forget about our ears. According to the National Institute of Health, despite the fact that we are convinced that exceptionally loud noises are to blame for hearing loss, that is simply not the case. What is more harmful is constant exposure to moderately loud noises, those over 85 decibels, which is not terribly loud considering a normal conversation measures approximately 60 decibels. And what is most troublesome, is that once your hearing is lost, it’s gone for good.

So, what can be done other than simply raising awareness? Here are some helpful suggestions:

• If you come across a situation that involves a great deal of noise, move away from it, particularly if you can’t lower the volume. You may have little control over the construction crew that is jackhammering outside your dorm window, but you can take another route to class or at the very least cross the street to put some distance between you and the source.
• If you can, however, lower the volume, do so. There is no need to listen to your music or the television set so loudly that others can hear.
• Wear hearing protection when the activity in which you are involved is very loud.