Your Health Matters
By Claudia Parks, R.N.

“Grandma, you can just send money for Christmas; you wouldn’t have any idea what we’re talking about or where to go to buy it (them)!” Rats! That’s all I do is send money! They are probably right! Last year, I helped Alex order a new skateboard—using my credit card—now I get all of these weird catalogs! If we lived nearer, I may be able to catch on to the in things for the different age groups—but I’m not sure half the time that I would approve or agree!? It seems like it is always “something to stick in their ear!” Oh, how quick they grow up! And, as their great-grandmother says, “They see no danger”! Their parents are on the fringe of the Baby Boomer generation and “they saw no danger”!

Baby boomers were the · Lawn mower, video Benatar is the national spokesperson for the Energizer EZ Change “It’s Hip to H.E.A.R.” program, a national cause-related initiative designed to educate baby boomers about the importance of hearing health awareness, prevention and treatment. While 16 million baby boomers suffer from hearing damage, a recent national survey revealed that most boomers are not concerned about hearing loss or seeking treatment. According to the Energizer survey, only one percent of baby boomers rank hearing loss as a health concern and almost half (45%) say they are not at all worried about hearing loss.

Despite this lack of concern, the reality is that there are more baby boomers aged 46-64 with hearing loss than there are people over the age of 65 with hearing loss, and there is 26 percent more hearing loss among baby boomers than in previous generations. More info: www.hearnet.com

SOUND becomes NOISE: A decibel is a measurement of loudness of sound. The government requires employers to provide hearing protection for workers exposed to 85 decibels for eight hours or more. Prolonged exposure to noises louder than 90 decibels is considered dangerous to your hearing.

Noise level of everyday sounds:

· Water dripping: 10 decibels

Barking dog: 60 decibels

· Normal conversation: 50- 70 decibels · Busy street: 70-100 decibels arcades, wood shops: 90-110 decibels

· Rock concert, firecrackers: 140-150 decibels

· Monster car stereo: 130- 150 decibels · Gunshot: 140 decibels

· Jet takeoff: 150 decibels

The longer you are exposed to a loud noise, the more damaging it may be. Also the closer you are to the source of intense noise the more damaging it is.

Wear earplugs when you know you’ll be at a noisy event for more than a few minutes. Music stores sell special plugs for about $15 that are designed to cut the decibel level without muddying the sound. Drug and variety stores offer cheaper foam plugs for less than $1 a pair. There are also Acoustic Noise Canceling headphones that many people wear in noisy work environments and while on airplanes listening to music—these cost from $50 to $350—you may be paying a lot for a name brand! Protect your hearing—younger—the sooner the better!

Claudia Parks, RN is a former doctor’s office and emergency room nurse and retired as an educator from Fulton County Schools. She writes Your Health Matters as a public service; the information here is designed to help you make informed choices about your health. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice of your physician. Claudia and her husband make their home in the beautiful north Georgia Mountains, near Blairsville.

Claudia can be reached at yhm@windstream.net