We are enveloped by noise in our everyday existence. Whether it’s gardening equipment, vehicles, or our own headphones, the aural 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 preserving your hearing.
8 key suggestions to protect your hearing
Fortunately, there are simple steps you can take to guard your hearing from the everyday noise around you. The following are eight primary pointers 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 extended exposure can lead to permanent hearing loss. A fast look is below:
- Sounds like heavy traffic or lawn mowers (85–90 dB) can be tolerated safely for a maximum of 2 hours.
- 100 dB: Motorcycles, construction machinery – Hearing damage can occur in as little as 15 minutes.
- Noises exceeding 110 dB (e.g., explosions, fireworks) can lead to immediate damage in just seconds.
Taking a proactive approach to noise awareness can help you steer clear of environments that are hazardous to your ears.
2. Check sound levels yourself
Curious about how loud your environment really is? Your smartphone offers an convenient way to measure these levels. You can download a range of complimentary sound meter applications to evaluate the noise in your vicinity. The key to getting exact data is to take the measurement from the distance you usually maintain from the origin of the sound.
Regular use of this monitoring tool 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 long-term hearing damage is enjoying music or podcasts at volumes that are too high. Despite their practicality, headphones and earbuds often conceal certain risks. It’s noteworthy that many headphones can reach 100 dB, a level that can induce hearing loss in only 15 minutes of use.
Because they listen with earbuds at high volumes, more than a billion young people worldwide are currently facing a risk of hearing loss. You should never set the volume on your earbuds higher than 50% of the maximum capacity if you want to safeguard your ears. If you find yourself turning the volume up beyond this limit, it likely means some degree of hearing loss has already occurred.
4. Never try to use music to drown out loud noise
For those who live in loud areas or work in noisy settings, the urge to use headphones to overpower the ambient sound can be strong. But cranking up the volume to overpower outside noise is harmful. 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
Whether you are at a concert, a sports event, or operating loud machinery, earplugs are critical for those often exposed to loud environments. Since they are small, affordable, and easy to transport, earplugs offer an uncomplicated but powerful method of hearing protection.
If you use them often, custom-fitted earplugs can be obtained, 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 involves being around loud equipment or machinery, always follow safety protocols regarding hearing protection. Be wary because some jobs may discount the risks; individuals claiming “it’s not that loud” could be suffering from major hearing loss and thus misjudging the true noise level. It is vital to protect your hearing by using the correct protective gear and abiding by the safety rules.
7. Move further away from loud noise
Sometimes the best way to protect your ears is simply to move away from the noise source. The advantage of distance is that it lessens the sound’s intensity before it reaches your ears, thus serving to minimize the risk of harm. 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.
Consider fireworks as a perfect illustration. A firework exploding at 150 dB may seem far away, but if you’re near the launch site, the noise can still exceed 120 dB, causing instant damage. In contrast, by seating yourself 2,000 feet away (approximately five football fields), you can view the show at a safer level, under 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. Hearing loss doesn’t go away on its own; it progresses. Nearly 1 in 10 adults between the ages of 55 and 64 has noticeable hearing loss, and those numbers rise sharply in older age.
Failing to address the first warning signs of auditory loss will only quicken its advancement. On average, people wait 7 years too long to get treatment. The sooner you consult with a hearing specialist and explore hearing aids or other treatments, the better your chances of saving your remaining hearing.
Act now for better hearing
The observance of National Protect Your Hearing Month is an opportune 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 straightforward steps can make a big difference.
book a hearing test now and gain control over your hearing health before the opportunity is gone.
