Delta Zeta's Learn to Listen Week

Guest Bloggers Tina Penman, Audiologist and National Philanthropy Committee Coordinator, and Tycene Fritcher, National Philanthropy Chairman

Delta Zeta is sponsoring Learn to Listen week April 1-7. Why? Because hearing loss is on the rise in teenagers and college age students. As an organization where most members join during their college years, Delta Zeta is compelled to raise awareness of this new epidemic and support our National philanthropy for the speech and hearing.

One in five American teenagers now suffers from some type of hearing loss, with an alarming increase of 31% in the last decade alone. Instead of having noticeable hearing loss in their 50s or 60s, today’s college student will face these difficulties in their 30s and 40’s. And most of this is preventable simply by learning to listen!

Picture a fresh patch of grass. Each blade of grass stands straight and perky. The inner hair cells in the cochlea are like blades of grass. They stand straight and perky and send signals about sounds to the brain.  

Now picture a group having lunch sitting on the grass. Each blade of grass might be crooked or flat when the group is sitting down. The force down on the grass is like the force down on the inner hair cells caused by loud noise. Each blade of grass may pop back up and stand straight and perky after the group leaves, but sometimes it may not. The damage could be permanent, just like a permanent hearing loss from loud noise referred to as Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL).  

Unlike grass, permanent damage to the inner hair cells from loud noise cannot be seen. For this reason, be kind to your inner hair cells and avoid risk of permanent hearing loss. Protect them by wearing earplugs at loud concerts and listening to music at softer levels no more than 60% of the volume.

To learn more about hearing loss prevention, visit our National philanthropy partners: House Research Institute’s It’s How You Listen That Counts at www.earbud.org and the Starkey Hearing Foundation’s Listen Carefully and Sound Matters initiatives at www.starkeyhearingfoundation.org.

Additional information for chapters planning events can be found on Delta Zeta Metro’s Chapter Officer Resources container. Follow Delta Zeta on Twitter with the hashtag #DZLearn2Listen.  And watch our Facebook page for frequent updates and ways you can get involved in Learn to Listen Week.