Noise is a ever-present presence in our daily lives. From lawnmowers and traffic to personal audio devices, the world is more cacophonous than ever. Without adequate care, this higher level of noise can result in damage to your ears. As October marks National Protect Your Hearing Month, it serves as an excellent period to review how to safeguard this important sense.
8 tips to protect your hearing
Fortunately, there are simple steps you can take to protect your ears from the daily noise around you. We present eight vital guidelines to keep your hearing safe.
1. Grasp noise levels and their impact
The most important action for staving off auditory damage is to determine when a sound level becomes excessive. Diverse noises generate different decibel (dB) measurements; spending too much time around loud ones can result in permanent hearing damage. Here’s a quick reference:
- Sounds like heavy traffic or lawn mowers (85–90 dB) can be tolerated safely for a maximum of 2 hours.
- At 100 dB (e.g., motorcycles, construction machinery), hearing damage can begin after only 15 minutes.
- Over 110 dB: Fireworks, gunshots, explosions – Instant damage can happen after just a few seconds.
A forward-thinking mindset regarding noise levels allows you to prevent environments that are detrimental for your hearing.
2. Determine sound levels yourself
Curious about how loud your environment really is? Your smartphone offers an easy way to measure it. You can download a range of complimentary sound meter applications to monitor the noise in your vicinity. For the most precise results, ensure you measure the sound from your usual distance to the source.
Regular use of this app can improve your understanding of your surroundings, leading to smarter choices about hearing protection.
3. Keep the volume down on your devices
One of the most frequent causes of gradual hearing damage is enjoying music or podcasts at volumes that are too high. The ease of headphones and earbuds often comes with unseen risks. It’s noteworthy that numerous headphones can reach 100 dB, a level that can induce hearing loss in only 15 minutes of use.
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. The need to increase the volume past this point to hear indicates that you may already have some hearing damage.
4. Avoid using music to drown out background noise
If you live in a noisy neighborhood or frequently work in loud environments, it might be enticing 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. Instead, consider using noise-canceling headphones, which allow you to enjoy your music or podcasts at a much lower, less hazardous volume. In the absence of noise-canceling headphones, using earplugs is an efficient substitute.
5. Always utilize earplugs in loud environments
For anyone often in loud environments—whether at concerts, sporting events, or while operating heavy machinery—earplugs are a must. They are small, affordable, and easy to carry, making them a straightforward but effective tool for hearing protection.
Individuals who require earplugs often can get custom-fitted ones, which give superior protection and comfort compared to standard types. You should certainly use them in any settings that are loud.
6. Follow safety guidelines at work
When your work involves being near loud machinery or equipment, you must strictly follow all safety procedures for hearing protection. While some employers may disregard the danger, those who insist “it’s not that loud” might already have serious hearing damage and be unaware of the actual volume. Take essential steps to protect yourself by complying with all guidelines and wearing the right protective equipment.
7. Distance yourself from loud noise
Frequently, the best strategy for safeguarding your ears is merely to put distance between yourself and the noise. By increasing distance, the sound intensity reaching your ears is lessened, which helps reduce damage. To illustrate, moving 20 feet back from a 110 dB sound source can lower the level to about 100 dB, which is safe for 15 minutes of exposure.
Fireworks offer a good example. A firework exploding at 150 dB may seem far away, but if you’re near the launch site, the noise can still go beyond 120 dB, causing instant damage. By sitting 2,000 feet away (roughly five football fields), you can enjoy the show at a safer level below 100 dB.
8. Existing hearing loss needs to be addressed promptly
Should you already be dealing with hearing loss, it is imperative that you take action so it doesn’t get worse. Auditory impairment is not self-reversing; it will continue to worsen. Nearly 1 in 10 adults between the ages of 55 and 64 has noticeable hearing loss, and those numbers increase dramatically in older age.
Ignoring the early indicators of hearing loss only accelerates its progression. On average, people wait 7 years too long to consult a specialist. Your ability to conserve the hearing you still have is improved the earlier you see a hearing specialist to review options like hearing aids.
Act now for better hearing
The observance of National Protect Your Hearing Month is an great time to place a high value on your auditory well-being. Whether you’ve already experienced some hearing loss or want to prevent future damage, these simple steps can make a big difference.
book a hearing test now and gain control over your hearing health before the opportunity is gone.
