What causes deafness? by Shelby Salerno
What sounds are the worst for the ears? Here are some of the sounds that are damaging to the ears from loudest to softest. They are measured in decibels, which is a measure of sound pressure per level. So what should you do if you experience loud noises like these? The biggest thing is to rest your ears. After being exposed to a large amount of stimulus (such as blaring music or machinery), the little hairs in the ear need a good hour or so to relax and to regain strength. Invest in noise-cancelling headphones so that when you are listening to music in a busy environment, the outside noise does not cause extra strain or cause you to turn up the volume on your iPod. Keep your ears safe.
Rock concert 120 decibels
Nuclear blast 278 decibels
Drum set 110 decibels
Automobile 50 decibels
Rustling of leaves 10 decibels
Ordinary conversation 60 decibels Lawn Mower 100 decibels Gun blast 50-170 decibels Jet engine 140 decibels
Illustration by Cooper Lovano and Joseph Bieschke
8 HIGH TIDE . HEALTH