Noisy Planet

Parents

Too Loud. Too Long.

The extent of noise-related damage to your hearing depends on three factors: decibel level, distance, and time. Learn how loud noises can put children’s hearing at risk over time.

Kids and Preteens

Kids sitting around a table eating lunch and talking to one another.

Where Is the Noise?

Noise is everywhere. Learn which sounds and environments can put your hearing at risk and how to protect your hearing.

Educators

Teacher asking her elementary students a question in a classroom. Students are raising their hands to answer the question.

Tips for Teaching Kids about Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

Educators from administrators to music teachers learn how to incorporate healthy hearing messages into their daily interactions with kids.

Have You Heard?

13-year-old Nora Keegan stands in front of a poster presentation detailing her research.

Can Electric Hand Dryers Hurt Your Hearing?

A study conducted by a teenager found that some electric hand dryers in public restrooms could be loud enough to harm your hearing over time.

Color illustration of the human inner ear anatomy

Reducing Zinc Levels in the Inner Ear May Someday Help to Prevent Hearing Loss from Noise

Hearing damage from noise might one day be reduced by trapping excess zinc released in the inner ear after exposure to loud sounds.

Woman holding her hand up to her ear as if to better hear something.

High-Tech Images Help Scientists "See" Hearing Process

To better understand how we hear, scientists used X-ray crystallography and supercomputers to study tiny structures in our ears.

Screenshot of an ear from video illustrating how sounds travel from the ear to the brain, where they are interpreted and understood.

Travel Through the Ear in Journey of Sound to the Brain

Travel through the human ear in this short, animated video. Learn how sound waves are changed to electrical signals that our brains interpret and understand.

It's a Noisy Planet. Protect Their Hearing.®

This national public education campaign is designed to increase awareness among parents of children ages 8 to 12 about the causes and prevention of noise-induced hearing loss. With this information, parents and other adults can encourage children to adopt healthy hearing habits before and during the time that they develop listening, leisure, and working habits.

It's a Noisy Planet. Protect Their Hearing.® and the Noisy Planet logo are registered trademarks of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.