Through our Safe and Sound prevention program, Hearing Health Foundation and the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) have partnered on the “It’s a Noisy Planet/Protect Their Hearing” educational campaign to help you protect the hearing of children.

Children often are exposed to noises that can reach harmful levels and durations. It can be everything from using a power mower to playing in a rock band to attending a sports event or concert in a large stadium. And, more and more, the problem is listening to MP3 players through earphones turned all the way up.

For more information and educational resources, visit “It’s a Noisy Planet” for helpful advice to parents on the causes and prevention of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), how to recognize when a child's hearing is at risk, and ways to reduce noise exposure. The site contains games, posters, and interactive information about noise and hearing loss tailored specifically for tweens, because they are at an age when they are no longer little children, and they are beginning to develop a sense of who they are and what they like to do.

Reaching them at this age, while they're forming attitudes and habits related to their health, will help them understand that healthy hearing habits will benefit them for a lifetime.