Acoustic interference is an unavoidable element of modern life. Our environment—from traffic and lawnmowers to music via earbuds—is increasingly loud. The growing volume of sound poses a significant threat to your auditory health unless precautions are taken. With National Protect Your Hearing Month taking place in October, now is the most suitable time to dedicate attention to preserving your hearing.
How to safeguard your hearing: 8 key methods
Fortunately, there are straightforward steps you can take to protect your ears from the daily noise around you. Here are eight key tips to preserve your hearing.
1. Become familiar with volume levels and their affect
The most important action for staving off auditory damage is to recognize when a sound level becomes excessive. Different sounds produce varying decibel (dB) levels, and extended exposure can lead to permanent hearing loss. Here’s a quick overview:
- Lawn mowers and heavy traffic fall into the 85–90 dB range, which is 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.
Taking a proactive approach to noise awareness can help you avoid environments that are dangerous to your ears.
2. Check sound levels yourself
Want to know the actual volume of your surroundings? A smartphone makes checking sound levels easy. Several no-cost sound meter apps are accessible, allowing you to test noise levels around you. For the most precise results, ensure you measure the sound from your usual distance to the source.
Using this feature regularly can help you better grasp your environment and make informed decisions about protecting your hearing.
3. Keep the volume down on your devices
A major way people negatively affect their hearing over time is by using their devices at elevated volume settings. Headphones and earbuds, while convenient, frequently carry understated dangers. For example, many headphones can exceed 100 dB, leading to hearing loss in just 15 minutes.
Current data suggests that more than a billion young individuals face the threat of hearing impairment due to excessive earbud use. To be safe, 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. Never try to use music to drown out loud noise
If you reside in a noisy neighborhood or frequently work in loud environments, it might be enticing to use headphones to drown out the background sound. But cranking up the volume to overpower outside noise is harmful. The preferred solution is noise-canceling headphones, which permit listening to media at a greatly reduced and safer volume. In the absence of noise-canceling headphones, using earplugs is an good substitute.
5. Always use earplugs in loud settings
For anyone regularly attending loud environments—whether at concerts, sporting events, or while operating heavy machinery—earplugs are a must. They are a very effective yet simple hearing protection solution, being compact, inexpensive, and portable.
Custom-fitted earplugs are offered for those who need them regularly, providing better fit and protection than generic options. In any loud setting, don’t forget to use them.
6. Follow safety guidelines at work
When your work necessitates being near loud machinery or equipment, you must diligently follow all safety procedures for hearing protection. Some workplaces may undervalue the risks, but those who claim “it’s not that loud” may already have considerable hearing loss and don’t perceive the current noise levels. You should protect your hearing by wearing the necessary protective gear and sticking to the safety rules.
7. Move further away from loud noise
The simplest means of hearing protection can often be just moving back from the source of the loud sound. Distance lowers the intensity of sound reaching your ears, helping to minimize 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 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
Any existing hearing loss demands prompt action to keep it from escalating. This kind of impairment will not resolve itself; it only gets worse. Statistics reveal that nearly 1 out of 10 adults in the 55-to-64 age group have serious hearing loss, and this percentage jumps in later years.
Failing to address the first indications of auditory loss will only hasten its advancement. It is common for people to wait an average of 7 years longer than they should before getting professional help. The sooner you consult with a hearing specialist and consider hearing aids or other treatments, the better your chances of saving your remaining hearing.
Start protecting your hearing now
Use National Protect Your Hearing Month as the ideal reminder to make hearing health a main concern. Whether you’ve already experienced some hearing loss or want to avoid future damage, these straightforward steps can make a big difference.
Schedule a hearing test today and take charge of your hearing health before it’s too late.
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The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive a personalized free hearing test and hearing loss consultation, call today to set up an appointment.
