Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a condition that has been affecting an increasingly large number of young people and children, including middle school students. Due to urban noise pollution, as well as the active use of technology that has a particularly detrimental effect on the hearing ability of the target population, the threat of NIHL has risen exponentially. Therefore, it is vital to introduce strategies for minimizing the threat of NIHL in middle school students. What one must keep in mind is that NIHL cannot be treated due to the permanent damage to the eardrums and the resulting deterioration of the receptors that allow perceiving sounds. Therefore, strategies for minimizing the exposure of middle school students to loud sounds, including both recurring and singular instances thereof, must be introduced, with particular focus on the impact of noise pollution and the use of technology affecting the target population’s hearing abilities.
Resources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; National Institute of Health
Article: NIHL. (n.d.). Noise-induced hearing loss.