Today’s Wonder of the Day was inspired by Darin . Darin Wonders, “Can your ear drum break if you play loud music?” Thanks for WONDERing with us, Darin !

Have you ever noticed how loud the world can be? From traffic and televisions to construction equipment and lawn mowers, it can seem like our ears are under constant attack from the noise of the world.

You might be tempted at those noisy times to retreat into your own world. Maybe you look for a quiet place or listen to music on your headphones. You might even be tempted to crank up the volume to drown out all the other sounds.

Be careful! Has anyone ever told you to turn down the volume if your headphones are very loud? If they do, listen to them! They may be right.

Your ears are delicate instruments. Loud sounds — from music to jackhammers — can harm your ears and cause hearing loss. That means you won’t be able to hear as well. In some severe cases, it might cause you to completely lose your hearing.

Over time, exposure to loud sounds can lead to a condition called tinnitus. That’s the medical term for what most people call ringing in the ears. People who work around loud machinery often need to wear earplugs to protect their ears from loud sounds.

Headphones — including the popular ear bud variety — can cause the same kind of damage as loud sounds from machinery. So when you wear headphones, give your ears a break and keep the volume at a reasonable level. Your ears will thank you later!

If you go to a concert, you might also want to consider taking some earplugs along. Loudspeakers at concerts can blast music at such a piercing level that your ears can easily be ringing on the way home. If you really want to enjoy music, you need to protect your ears right now.

How can you keep your ears safe? First, turn the volume down! Instead of cranking the volume up to 10, leave it around 5. It also helps to take breaks. Your ears need some quiet time every now and then, so take the headphones off and enjoy the silence!

Standards: CCRA.L.3, CCRA.L.6, CCRA.R.1, CCRA.R.2, CCRA.R.4, CCRA.R.10, CCRA.SL.1, CCRA.W.4

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You can lead tomorrow’s Wonder of the Day to water, but you can’t make it drink!