{"id":3101,"date":"2022-04-29T12:54:59","date_gmt":"2022-04-29T16:54:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hamptonroadsent.com\/?p=3101"},"modified":"2022-04-29T12:55:02","modified_gmt":"2022-04-29T16:55:02","slug":"how-can-teachers-reduce-their-risk-of-hearing-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hamptonroadsent.com\/how-can-teachers-reduce-their-risk-of-hearing-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"How Can Teachers Reduce Their Risk of Hearing Loss?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Anyone who works in education knows that the classroom can be a loud place, no matter what grade level you\u2019re working with. From multiple students trying to participate at once to other students having side conversations and hard surfaces causing excessive reverberance, it can be challenging for teachers to convey the information they\u2019re trying to communicate. Below we review what the research shows, how loud is too loud and strategies for hearing better in the classroom and reducing risk of hearing loss<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What the Research Shows<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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One study<\/a> found that teachers, like those in Hampton City Schools<\/a>, may be at risk of developing occupational hearing loss. In fact, the study found that 94% of teachers surveyed find their classrooms to be too loud, and 65% complain of hearing problems, including tinnitus (ringing in the ears).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Loud Is Too Loud?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Classroom noises can top 85 decibels \u2013 the threshold that is considered safe for a workday. For reference, normal conversations typically occur at roughly 60 to 70 decibels. Eighty-five decibels is closer to the sound level of heavy highway traffic or a busy restaurant. This level of noise has been shown to cause hearing loss if you\u2019re exposed for eight hours or more per day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tips for Hearing Better & Protecting Hearing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Follow our tips below so you can hear better for longer as a teacher:<\/p>\n\n\n\n