Noise is a constant part in our daily lives. From lawnmowers and traffic to personal audio devices, the world is louder than ever. The growing volume of sound poses a significant risk to your auditory health unless precautions are taken. With National Protect Your Hearing Month taking place in October, now is the best time to dedicate attention to keeping safe your hearing.
8 actionable steps to protect your hearing
It’s a relief that basic actions can be implemented to shield your ears from the ambient 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 develop an awareness of when noise intensity is dangerously high. Varying noises generate different decibel (dB) measurements; spending too much time around loud ones can result in unrecoverable hearing damage. Consult this brief summary:
- Lawn mowers and heavy traffic fall into the 85–90 dB range, which is safe for up to 2 hours of listening.
- 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.
By being vigilant about how loud your surroundings are, you can successfully stay away from settings that pose a threat to your auditory health.
2. Determine sound levels yourself
Curious about how loud your environment really is? You can easily measure it using your smartphone. There are many free applications that act as sound meters, enabling you to assess surrounding noise levels. To get accurate results, measure from the distance you usually are from the sound source.
Using this application regularly can help you better grasp 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 damage their hearing over time. Despite their practicality, headphones and earbuds often mask certain risks. It’s noteworthy that numerous headphones can reach 100 dB, a level that can induce hearing loss in only 15 minutes of use.
Current data suggests that more than a billion young individuals face the threat of hearing impairment due to loud earbud use. Crucially, keep your earbud volume below 50% of its full potential to protect your hearing. If you find yourself turning the volume up beyond this limit, it likely means some degree of hearing loss has already occurred.
4. Avoid using music to drown out background noise
For those who reside in loud areas or work in noisy settings, the urge to use headphones to overpower the ambient sound can be strong. However, turning the volume high enough to overpower the noise outside is dangerous for your hearing. A better alternative is to use noise-canceling headphones, as they let you listen to music or podcasts at a far lower and safer volume. In the absence of noise-canceling headphones, using earplugs is an effective substitute.
5. Always use earplugs in noisy settings
Earplugs are absolutely necessary for individuals often in loud settings, such as concerts, sports events, or while using heavy machinery. They are small, affordable, and easy to carry, making them a simple but effective tool for hearing protection.
Individuals who use earplugs often can obtain custom-fitted ones, which give superior protection and comfort compared to standard types. In any loud setting, don’t forget to use them.
6. While at work, follow safety guidelines
When your work necessitates being near loud machinery or equipment, you must strictly follow all safety procedures for hearing protection. Be cautious because some jobs may ignore the risks; individuals claiming “it’s not that loud” could be suffering from major hearing loss and thus misjudging the true noise level. Protect yourself by adhering to guidelines and wearing appropriate protective equipment.
7. Move further away from loud noise
The simplest means of hearing protection can often be just creating distance from the source of the loud sound. By increasing distance, the sound intensity reaching 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.
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 still enjoy the display at a safer level, below 100 dB, by being 2,000 feet away (the length of about five football fields).
8. Address existing hearing loss promptly
Any existing hearing loss requires prompt action to keep it from advancing. Hearing loss doesn’t go away on its own; it progresses. Statistics show that approximately 1 out of 10 adults in the 55-to-64 age group have considerable hearing loss, and this percentage increases in later years.
Ignoring the early indicators of hearing loss only speeds up its progression. On average, people wait 7 years too long to seek help. By consulting a hearing specialist sooner and investigating treatments such as hearing aids, you maximize the potential for maintaining your existing hearing.
Take action today
The observance of National Protect Your Hearing Month serves as an opportune time to place a high value on your auditory well-being. These simple actions can have a major impact, regardless of whether you’re seeking to avert future harm or you’ve already experienced some hearing loss.
To avoid future regret, arrange a hearing test immediately and manage your auditory health.