PROTECT EARS ON THE 4TH OF JULY

Fireworks are exciting. But, whether you are setting them off in your drive-way or watching a public display, you could be at risk of damaging your hearing.

​Fireworks are loud, in the 150 to 190 decibel range. There are two things to note when considering whether or not fireworks will have the potential to cause hearing loss: Distance from the sound source, and loudness. 

The World Health Organization recommends that adults not be exposed to more than 140 decibels of peak sound pressure. For children, the recommendation is 120 decibels. If you are dealing with a firework that explodes at 170 decibels, you would have to stand 50-66 feet away before you are at a safe limit. Children would have to stand 164-197 feet away from that same firework. Infants should not be exposed to fireworks, because they generally experience the greatest amount of sound pressure.

Exposure to loud sounds can result in the following:

• Tinnitus – ringing in the ears, which can be a symptom of hearing loss.

• Temporary threshold shift – slight decrease in hearing, which usually only lasts 24 hours.

• Permanent hearing loss – a change in hearing that is permanent and cannot be restored.

Protect Ears

Whether you are participating in recreational or professional fireworks, hearing protection (earplugs or headphones) is recommended. Protect babies and toddlers with noise-cancelling headphones and a distance of at least 200 feet.

If a person hears a sound 20 feet away, a dog can hear the same sound 80 feet away. And for dogs, hearing sound is not just an auditory perception, it's a full-body sensory experience. Dogs’ ears are designed to funnel in sounds. Loud bursts of sound can be both damaging and frightening to dogs.

With the right precautions you and your family and friends can have a fun and safe Fourth of July holiday.               

Sources: BoysTown National Research Hospital & www.usatoday.com

INDEPENDENCE DAY FUN QUIZ

Answers below

1.    When was the first Independence Day?

    a) 1776   b) 1779   c) 1786    d) 1821

2.    Which of these states was not one of the original 13 colonies?

a)    Maine   b) Virginia   c) Maryland   d) Delaware

3.    What was the name of the British officer who was hanged as a spy by the Americans during the Revolutionary War?

        a) Arnold Benedict   b)Henry Clinton   c)Alexander Hamilton   d)Benedict Arnold

4.    Who were the Americans fighting in the Revolutionary War?

       a)France   b)Great Britain   c)Germany   d)Other Americans

5.    In what year did the Revolutionary War begin?

       a)1756   b)1774   c)1775   d)1864

6.    How many signatures are on the Declaration of Independence?

  a)13    b)27    c)56    d)61

  7. Whose signature is the largest on the Declaration of Independence?

       a)George Washington   b)John Hancock   c)Thomas Jefferson   d)John Adams

  8. Where was the Declaration of Independence signed?

a)Albany, NY   b)Independence, MO   c)Washington DC   d)Philadelphia, PA

  9. Only 3 American generals who served throughout the 8 years of the Revolutionary War. Two of      

       these were George Washington and Henry Knox.  Who was the third?  a)Marquis de  

       Lafayette   b)John Hancock    c)Nathaneal Greene    d)Alexander Hamilton

 10. When was the first US Flag adopted?

a)1776    b)1777    c)1785    d)1874

 11. The first Independence was celebrated how?

a) Band music, Liberty Bell, and a reading of the Declaration of Independence  b)Fireworks, a parade, and music  c)Fireworks, parade, and picnics   d)Bonfire, Liberty Bell, and fireworks 

 12. What year did the celebration begin and end with 13 fireworks, one for each of the 13 colonies?

     a)1776    b)1777    c)1786    d)1876

‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.’ The Declaration of Independence 4th of July, 1776

Answers to Independence Day Fun Quiz

1.a)1776  2.a)Maine  3.d)Benedict Arnold  4.b)Great Britain  5.c)1775  6.c)56  7.b)John Hancock

8.d)Philadelphia, Pennsylvania  9.c)Nathaneal Greene  10.b)1777 Continental Congress adopted Stars & Stripes

11.a)Band, Liberty Bell announcing reading of Declaration of Independence   12.b) 1777