We are enveloped by noise in our everyday existence. From lawnmowers and traffic to personal audio devices, the world is louder than ever. Such loud conditions can compromise your hearing if awareness is lacking. October is National Protect Your Hearing Month, making it the perfect time to concentrate on how to preserve this essential sense.
8 tips to protect your hearing
It’s a relief that uncomplicated actions can be implemented to defend your ears from the constant noise you encounter daily. The following are eight core recommendations for maintaining your hearing health.
1. Become familiar with noise levels and their impact
Being conscious of how loud is too loud is the first step in preventing hearing damage. Diverse noises generate different decibel (dB) measurements; spending too much time around loud ones can result in permanent hearing damage. A fast look is below:
- 85–90 dB: Lawn mowers, heavy traffic – Safe for up to 2 hours of exposure.
- 100 dB: Motorcycles, construction machinery – Hearing damage can occur in as little as 15 minutes.
- Instant damage is possible after merely a few seconds of exposure to noises over 110 dB, like explosions, gunshots, or fireworks.
Taking a proactive approach to noise awareness can help you steer clear of environments that are hazardous to your ears.
2. Check sound levels yourself
Are you interested in finding out the true loudness of your environment? A smartphone makes measuring sound levels effortless. You can download a range of complimentary sound meter applications to evaluate the noise in your vicinity. The key to getting reliable data is to take the measurement from the distance you usually maintain from the origin of the sound.
Using this feature regularly can help you better understand your environment and make informed decisions about protecting your hearing.
3. Don’t crank up the volume on your devices
A major way people negatively affect their hearing over time is by using their devices at elevated volume settings. Despite their handiness, headphones and earbuds often conceal certain risks. For example, many headphones can exceed 100 dB, leading to hearing loss in just 15 minutes.
Today, over a billion young people are at risk of hearing loss from using earbuds at high volumes. To protect your ears, never turn your earbuds above 50% of their maximum volume. If you find yourself turning the volume up beyond this limit, it likely means some degree of hearing loss has already occurred.
4. Never try to use music to drown out loud noise
If you reside in a noisy neighborhood or frequently work in loud environments, it might be enticing to use headphones to block out the background sound. It is in fact harmful to increase the volume excessively just to override outside noise. Instead, consider using noise-canceling headphones, which allow you to enjoy your music or podcasts at a much lower, less hazardous volume. Should noise-canceling headphones not be an option, simple earplugs serve as a viable alternative.
5. Always utilize earplugs in noisy settings
Earplugs are absolutely necessary for individuals regularly in loud settings, such as concerts, sports events, or while using heavy machinery. They are a highly effective yet simple hearing protection strategy, being compact, inexpensive, and portable.
Individuals who use earplugs often can obtain custom-fitted ones, which give superior protection and comfort compared to standard types. Never fail to use earplugs when you are in a noisy location.
6. Follow safety recommendations at work
critically, if your occupation exposes you to loud machinery or equipment, you must obey the established safety guidelines for auditory protection. While some employers may underestimate the danger, those who insist “it’s not that loud” might already have noticeable hearing damage and be unaware of the actual volume. It is vital to protect your hearing by using the correct protective gear and abiding by the safety rules.
7. Distance yourself from loud noise
Sometimes the best way to protect your ears is simply to move away from the noise source. Distance diminishes the intensity of sound impacting your ears, thereby minimize damage. For example, standing 20 feet away from a noise source producing 110 dB reduces it to around 100 dB—safe for up to 15 minutes of exposure.
Consider fireworks as a perfect illustration. Even if a 150 dB firework explosion appears distant, being close to the launch site means the noise could still be over 120 dB, leading to immediate damage. You can nonetheless enjoy the display at a safer level, below 100 dB, by being 2,000 feet away (the length of about five football fields).
8. Existing hearing loss needs to be addressed promptly
Any existing hearing loss demands prompt action to keep it from escalating. This kind of impairment will not resolve itself; it only gets worse. Specifically, almost 10% of adults aged 55 to 64 suffer from substantial hearing loss, with the rates climbing steeply among older demographics.
Failing to address the first indications of auditory loss will only quicken its advancement. On average, people wait 7 years too long to seek help. Your ability to protect the hearing you still have is improved the earlier you see a hearing specialist to review options like hearing aids.
Take action today
Take advantage of National Protect Your Hearing Month as the ideal reminder to make hearing health a main concern. These basic steps are useful and can make a big change, whether your goal is to mitigate existing hearing loss or stop future impairment.
Schedule a hearing test today and take control of your hearing health before it’s too late.