The Collective Prevention Services (CPS), urges the population, especially adults, parents,
and guardians to be aware that exposure to loud music can
cause hearing damage, especially in young children, and as such
it is important to protect them from loud pitches, tones and in
general overly loud music.
Avoid these as much as possible and avoid standing in close
proximity of speakers of sound trucks.
Noise, like all sounds, is measured by the intensity and
frequency of the sound waves that hit the ear. The unit used to
measure the volume of sound is the decibel (dB). The greater
the number of decibels, the louder the noise and the more
harmful it is to the ears.
Environmental noise exposure, such as road traffic, aircraft
and/or sudden high-level noise, is associated with a range of
health outcomes in children.
Children demonstrate annoyance responses to noise, and noise
is also related to lower well-being and stress responses, such as
increased levels of adrenaline and noradrenaline.
Prolonged exposure can result in damage, which can be
irreversible, and parents and guardians are being advised to pay
attention to this during the Carnival parade.
Hearing loss may be mild, moderate, severe, or profound. It can
affect one ear or both ears and leads to difficulty in hearing
conversational speech or loud sounds.
CPS advises parents to monitor their children during Carnival
activities that they don’t stand near speakers with loud music as
this could be damaging to the child’s ear.
Take the following steps to minimize the risks and protect your
child from the physical and psychological effects of noise: Ensure
that he or she wears child-sized hearing protection, such as
earplugs or earmuffs, during noisy activities and events. Limit
the amount of time spent on noisy activities.
Instruct him or her to walk away from sources of loud noises.
Have your child’s hearing tested if he/she routinely participates
in noisy activities, such as playing an instrument or attending
musical activities or sporting events.