Dangerous Decibels

Today I had the honor of speaking on behalf of the Hearing Loss Association of America (Delray/Boynton Beach chapter) before a group of seniors on the perils of noise exposure. The chapter's president, Mr. Oscar Segal, leads support group meetings the third Friday of the month between September and May at the South County Civic Center, 16700 Jog Road, in Delray Beach. He contacted me a few months ago, asking if I would like to speak on this very relevant topic.

Did you realize that noise induced hearing loss is the #1 compensable on-the-job malady? That iPod earbuds can pump up to 130 decibels in your ear canals? That noisy households can affect your child's speech development and cognition? These were some of my subpoints today. Any interested readers can contact me and I'd be happy to send you the Power Point. I will work some of it into future entries in the occasional series "Your Audiology Tutorial."

Mr. Segal is a tireless advocate for the rights of the hearing impaired. He has lobbied state capitals and corporate headquarters alike to mandate accommodations for the hard of hearing in hotels, airports, restaurants. He is a believer in education, something I can surely get behind. Segal has single-sided deafness, and wears a bone anchored hearing aid (which utilizes the mastoid bone to conduct sound directly to the inner ear). So, he knows how hearing impaired un-friendly society can be. My hat's off to him for his diligence and care.

http://hladelrayboynton.org/