Sounds that Could Harm Your Hearing

Exposure to harmful noise can happen to anyone and almost anywhere. A 2012 Center for Disease Control study discovered that in the United States, at least 10 million adults under 70 years of age had hearing loss from exposure to excessive noise.

The effect of excessive noise

We measure sound in decibels (dB). If a sound is 70 dB, it won’t cause hearing loss, even after prolonged exposure. However, repeated exposure to sound at or above 85 dB can result in hearing loss, and the louder the sound, the less time you may be exposed to it until your hearing is impaired.

Loud noises can harm the hair cells in the cochlea. The breakdown of these hair cells means that the brain cannot absorb the right sound signals to be processed, resulting in hearing loss. What is more, once they die, these hair cells do not regenerate. The harm is irreversible.

Common sources of noise

At Work

High levels of noise pollution are one of the U.S.’s most common workplace hazards and continue to pose a pervasive threat to workers’ health. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, about 30 million workers are exposed to potentially hazardous noise at work every year (NIOSH).

One of the sectors where the most dangerous exposure occurs in the construction industry. According to a recent study, three out of every four construction workers are over-exposed to dangerous levels of noise.

Noise-induced hearing losses and noise-induced tinnitus are also the two leading causes of disability for U.S. service personnel, resulting in millions of dollars in healthcare fees paid for by the Veterans Department.

During Leisure Time

Noise is everywhere, even when you leave industrial settings. For instance, up to 85 decibels of sound is created by honking cars and sirens. An approaching underground train can produce 100 decibels. There are also leaf blowers and lawn mower sounds to be aware of too.

Exuberant sports fans, a packed indoor arena, and a pulsating sound system at your favorite sports team function is a lot of fun, but they are also one of the most common sources of loud noise in the leisure sphere.

Finally, there is the use of earbuds; at decibel levels above 100, these tiny electronic gadgets inject pulsating waves of sound directly into your ear. To put this into context, you can only turn up the music volume on an iPhone for just 10 minutes before you risk significant, even permanent, hearing damage.

Protect your hearing

It is not merely a matter of ignoring the loudest noises to shield yourself from noise. Instead, it is about controlling your overall daily exposure to noise. You need to pay attention to the level of noise you are subjected to and how long you are exposed.

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 8 hours of exposure to sounds of 85 decibels or less is identified as the limit. As decibels increase, the required amount of listening time decreases exponentially. Here are several examples of noise levels with the appropriate exposure times:

●      Over eight hours, 85 dB (A)

●      4 hours at 88 dB(A)

●      2 hours at 91 dB(A)

This illustrates that the sound level can be high at any given point in time without causing harm, as long as it is balanced during the rest of the day with lower noise levels.

Here is some practical advice for protecting your ears from noise:

●      Avoid noise: Whenever you encounter an overwhelmingly loud noise, try to leave the area or at least retreat to a safe distance.

●      Use noise-canceling headphones: Wear noise-canceling earplugs instead of cranking your smartphone to unacceptable levels.

●      Use ear protection: It would help if you used noise reduction devices such as earplugs at work, on the street, and in any other noisy environment, especially if you cannot escape the noise.

●      Check your hearing: As for all forms of hearing loss, noise-induced hearing loss occurs slowly and may not be instantly apparent to you. Get your hearing tested periodically. Checking your hearing each year is the best way to stay on top of your hearing health.

You can protect your hearing and enjoy all the benefits that healthy hearing offers by following these smart noise prevention tips from hearing experts. If you are concerned about your hearing abilities, find a provider within the FitHearing Audiology Network and schedule a hearing test today!