'Better Hearing' targets hazards : Hawaii Army Weekly

Col. Marjorie Grantham
U.S. Army Public Health Command

While most of us are aware that hazardous noise damages hearing, how to protect ourselves in a way that allows us to live and work in a world of sometimes dangerous sounds is just not intuitive.

Whether your favorite noisy recreational activity involves shooting, hunting, musical concerts, working out to tunes on your personal listening system, jamming with your band, boating or fishing on your favorite local waterway, achieving the perfect garden, or heading out for NASCAR, sporting or Scouting events, there is a hearing protector that is right for you.

Wearing earmuffs can help protect your hearing. (Courtesy photo)

Remember, too, that you can reduce your hazardous sound exposure by listening to music and other good sounds below the halfway point on the volume control, by limiting listening time and by giving your ears some quiet time to recover.

So, how do you know when you need hearing protection?

If you are standing three feet away from someone and have to raise your voice above the background sounds, or if you are facing someone and the noise is so loud that you cannot hear him from this distance, use hearing protectors.

Earplugs, earmuffs and communications and protection systems, such as Tactical Communications and Protective Systems (TCAPS), come in many different styles. If you are unsure whether your hearing protectors fit or are the right kind for the sounds you are in, check with your installation hearing program manager, your audiologist, your hearing technician or your unit hearing program officer.

It is no longer inevitable that you retire from the Army with hearing loss. Research demonstrates that if you wear your hearing protection properly and at the right time, you?ll retire from Army service with your hearing intact.

Best of all, you can enjoy your favorite sounds off duty, too.

(Editor?s note: Grantham is the Army Hearing Program manager.)

U.S. Army Public Health Command

To learn more about how the Army Hearing Program supports you, visit these sites:

?http://phc.amedd.army.mil/topics/workplacehealth/hrc/Pages/RelatedSites.aspx, and

?http://phc.amedd.army.mil/topics/workplacehealth/hrc/Pages/default.aspx.

Tags: health, U.S. Army Public Health Command

Category: Community, Health

Source: http://www.hawaiiarmyweekly.com/2013/05/23/better-hearing-targets-hazards/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=better-hearing-targets-hazards

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