'Mostly harmless': Expert talks cicadas and ear health

The sounds of cicadas have become inescapable in many parts of Tennessee.

"They are loud!" said Max Perry, a Vanderbilt student. "When you're walking around Nashville, you can hear them wherever you go."

Todd Ricketts, a professor and vice-chair for Vanderbilt's Graduate Studies in the Hearing and Speech department, said he's gotten many questions about how the high-pitched noise affects us.

"[I've gotten questions like] is it too loud, is it going to hurt me, is it going to be a problem?" he said.

Ricketts explained what we're hearing reaches 80 to 100 decibels. 85 decibels is where it can get dangerous.

However, for most people, the range is nothing we can't handle. The cicadas are as loud as mid-day traffic and quieter than a concert or live performance.

Ricketts concludes when it comes to your ear health, cicadas are mostly harmless.

"You're not [listening] all day every day for 10 or 20 years, it's a few weeks," he said.

For anyone who has hearing issues already, like tinnitus, the impact of the cicadas' chorus varies.

"There are people with ringing that find cicadas extremely beneficial and they say, 'oh I feel like I can live my life normally'. It's a distracting noise and I don't hear the ringing," said Ricketts. "There are other people that the cicada noise actually reminds them of their tinnitus and it can cause anxiety."

Overall, Professor Ricketts says if you don't get too close, for an extended period of time, you should be fine.

"Try not to worry too much, they're not here for that long," he said.

As for how long they'll stick around, the Nashville Tree Conservation Corps says the cicadas will likely be around for a couple of months. They should be on their way out come July.

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