We are enveloped by noise in our everyday existence. Whether it’s lawnmowers, vehicles, or our own headphones, the auditory world has intensified. The expanding volume of sound poses a significant risk to your auditory health unless you take measures. With National Protect Your Hearing Month taking place in October, now is the best time to dedicate attention to keeping safe your hearing.
8 tips to protect your hearing
It’s a relief that basic 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 volume levels and their affect
To begin curbing hearing loss, you must know when noise intensity is dangerously high. Different sounds produce varying decibel (dB) levels, and prolonged exposure can lead to permanent hearing loss. Consult this brief table:
- 85–90 dB: Lawn mowers, heavy traffic – Safe for up to 2 hours of exposure.
- Exposure to 100 dB sounds, such as those from construction equipment or motorcycles, risks hearing damage in only 15 minutes.
- Over 110 dB: Fireworks, gunshots, explosions – Instant damage can happen after just a few seconds.
Taking a proactive approach to noise awareness can help you avoid environments that are hazardous to your ears.
2. Measure sound levels yourself
Are you interested in finding out the true loudness of your environment? Your smartphone offers an convenient way to measure these levels. Several no-cost sound meter apps are accessible, allowing you to check noise levels around you. For the most precise results, ensure you measure the sound from your typical distance to the source.
Using this application 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
Listening to music or podcasts at excessive volumes is one of the most common ways people impair their hearing over time. The ease of headphones and earbuds often comes with unseen risks. For example, many headphones can surpass 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 need to raise the volume higher to hear, that’s a signal your hearing may already be damaged.
4. Avoid using music to drown out background noise
If you reside in a noisy neighborhood or frequently work in loud environments, it might be tempting to use headphones to block out the background sound. However, turning the volume high enough to overpower the noise outside is dangerous for your hearing. The recommended solution is noise-canceling headphones, which permit listening to media at a greatly reduced and safer volume. Should noise-canceling headphones not be an option, simple earplugs serve as a viable alternative.
5. Always utilize earplugs in loud environments
Earplugs are essential for individuals often in loud settings, such as concerts, sports events, or while using heavy machinery. They are a very effective yet simple hearing protection solution, being compact, inexpensive, and portable.
If you use them often, custom-fitted earplugs can be purchased, offering improved protection and a better fit than off-the-shelf versions. Never fail to use earplugs when you are in a noisy location.
6. While at work, follow safety guidelines
If your job requires being around loud equipment or machinery, always comply with safety protocols regarding hearing protection. Be cautious because some jobs may ignore the risks; individuals claiming “it’s not that loud” could be suffering from substantial hearing loss and thus misjudging the true noise level. Take essential steps to protect yourself by observing all guidelines and wearing the designated protective equipment.
7. Distance yourself from loud noise
Sometimes the best way to protect your ears is simply to move away from the noise source. By increasing distance, the sound intensity hitting your ears is lessened, which helps reduce damage. As an illustration, a noise source at 110 dB will be reduced to roughly 100 dB if you stand 20 feet away—a level that allows for up to 15 minutes of safe exposure.
Fireworks offer a good example. 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. By sitting 2,000 feet away (about five football fields), you can enjoy the show at a safer level below 100 dB.
8. Existing hearing loss needs to be addressed promptly
Any existing hearing loss demands prompt action to keep it from escalating. Auditory impairment is not self-reversing; it will progress. Statistics reveal that approximately 1 out of 10 adults in the 55-to-64 age group have considerable hearing loss, and this percentage jumps in later years.
When initial signs of hearing loss are disregarded, it only causes the impairment to progress faster. On average, people wait 7 years too long to consult a specialist. The sooner you consult with a hearing specialist and look into hearing aids or other treatments, the better your chances of preserving your remaining hearing.
Take action today
Take advantage of National Protect Your Hearing Month as the ideal reminder to make hearing health a top concern. These basic steps are useful and can make a big change, whether your goal is to mitigate existing hearing loss or stop it from happening.
Schedule a hearing test today and take charge of your hearing health before it’s too late.