Ten million Americans have already suffered irreversible damage from noise, and 30 million are exposed to dangerous levels of noise each day. The greatest increase occurs for people 45 to 64 years old. This is almost 20 years younger than we would expect.
Noise exposure appears to be the culprit.
Exposure to harmful sounds damages sensitive hair cells of the inner ear, eventually affecting the nerve of hearing. Both forms can be prevented by regular use of hearing protectors such as ear plugs or special ear muffs. Hearing loss in the workplace is a critical safety and health issue, too. We hope this campaign will help make workers, employers and others realize that hearing loss is not an inevitable consequence of earning a living. Coalition members disseminate information about preventing noise-induced hearing loss to their constituents and motivate them to take action against NIHL by understanding the problem and providing solutions.