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Health News For Champlain

Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Ottawa Public Health
Take steps to prevent noise-induced hearing loss this summer

Ottawa - With festival season kicking off in the capital, Ottawa Public Health (OPH) encourages Ottawa residents to protect their hearing. Whether at work or at play, loud noises can put you at risk of noise-induced hearing loss.

During the summer months you may be exposed to harmful levels of noise while:

Enjoying festivals and concerts
Listening to music via speakers or headphones
Using power tools and outdoor power equipment such as a lawnmower, grass trimmer, power sander or table saw
Watching fireworks

Noise-induced hearing loss can happen to anyone. According to Statistics Canada, more than one million adults across the country have a hearing-related disability. The Hearing Foundation of Canada reports that noise-induced hearing loss is one of the most common types of hearing damage.

You can protect yourself by:

Wearing properly fitted hearing protection devices such as earplugs when exposed to loud noise
Sitting or standing away from the source of the loud noise like speakers at concerts or loud machinery
Helping your ears recover after being exposed to loud noises by spending time in a quiet place
Limiting your exposure time to excessive noise.

Be aware of the risks and take preventative steps to protect yourself from noise-induced hearing loss. For more information, visit ottawa.ca/health or contact 613-580-6744 (TTY: 613-580-9656). You can also connect with OPH on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Pinterest.