We are enveloped by noise in our everyday existence. Whether it’s lawnmowers, vehicles, or our own headphones, the aural world has intensified. Without proper care, this higher level of noise can result in damage to your ears. October is National Protect Your Hearing Month, making it the perfect time to emphasize how to protect this crucial sense.
8 key suggestions to protect your hearing
Fortunately, there are simple steps you can take to guard your hearing from the daily noise around you. Here are eight key tips to preserve your hearing.
1. Become familiar with volume levels and their affect
To begin preventing hearing loss, you must know when noise intensity is too loud to tolerate. The volume of various sounds is measured in decibels (dB), and being exposed to them for too long can cause lasting hearing impairment. Here’s a quick reference:
- 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.
- Noises exceeding 110 dB (e.g., explosions, fireworks) can lead to immediate damage in just seconds.
A forward-thinking mindset regarding noise levels enables you to keep away from environments that are unsafe for your hearing.
2. Determine sound levels yourself
Are you interested in discovering the true loudness of your environment? Your smartphone offers an simple way to measure these levels. Several free sound meter apps are accessible, allowing you to check noise levels around you. 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 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
One of the most frequent causes of gradual hearing damage is enjoying music or podcasts at volumes that are too high. Despite their handiness, headphones and earbuds often conceal certain risks. It’s important 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. Having to increase the volume past this point to hear indicates that you may already have some hearing damage.
4. Never try to use music to drown out loud noise
When situated in a noisy environment or living in a loud neighborhood, you may be tempted to use headphones to cancel the surrounding noise. However, turning the volume high enough to overpower the noise outside is unwise for your hearing. Opt instead for noise-canceling headphones; these devices make it possible to listen to your music or podcasts at a considerably reduced, safer level. If you don’t have noise-canceling headphones, earplugs can be an effective alternative.
5. Always use earplugs in loud environments
Earplugs are absolutely necessary for individuals often in loud settings, such as concerts, sports events, or while using heavy machinery. Since they are small, affordable, and easy to transport, earplugs offer an easy but powerful method of hearing protection.
If you use them often, custom-fitted earplugs can be purchased, offering enhanced protection and a better fit than off-the-shelf versions. Never think twice about use earplugs when you are in a noisy location.
6. Follow safety recomendations at work
When your work necessitates 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 necessary steps to protect yourself by complying with all guidelines and wearing the right 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. The advantage of distance is that it lessens the sound’s intensity before it reaches your ears, thus helping to minimize the risk of harm. 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. While a firework explosion registers at 150 dB, if you are close to where it launches, the sound can still surpass 120 dB, which can cause instant harm. By sitting 2,000 feet away (about five football fields), you can enjoy the show at a safer level below 100 dB.
8. Address existing hearing loss promptly
Should you already be dealing with hearing loss, it is crucial that you take action so it doesn’t progress. Hearing loss doesn’t go away on its own; it progresses. Statistics reveal that nearly 1 out of 10 adults in the 55-to-64 age group have considerable hearing loss, and this percentage increases 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 get treatment. The sooner you consult with a hearing specialist and consider hearing aids or other treatments, the better your chances of saving your remaining hearing.
Act now for better hearing
National Protect Your Hearing Month is an excellent reminder to focus on your hearing health. These basic steps are useful and can make a big change, whether your goal is to reduce existing hearing loss or stop it from happening.
Don’t delay—book a hearing test now and assume control over your hearing health before the opportunity is gone.