Noise is a ever-present presence in our daily lives. From lawnmowers and road noise to personal audio devices, the world is more cacophonous than ever. This increase in noise can have a detrimental effect on your hearing if you’re not careful. The observance of National Protect Your Hearing Month in October provides the best opportunity to focus on the maintenance of this fundamental sense.
8 actionable steps to protect your hearing
Fortunately, there are easy steps you can take to guard your hearing from the daily noise around you. We present eight crucial pieces of advice to ensure auditory protection.
1. Grasp volume levels and their impact
To begin preventing hearing loss, you must know when noise intensity is too loud to tolerate. Diverse noises generate different decibel (dB) measurements; spending too much time around loud ones can result in unrecoverable hearing damage. Here’s a quick overview:
- Sounds like heavy traffic or lawn mowers (85–90 dB) can be tolerated safely for a maximum of 2 hours.
- 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 preventative approach to noise recognition can help you steer clear of environments that are hazardous to your ears.
2. Check sound levels yourself
Want to know the actual volume of your surroundings? You can easily determine it using your smartphone. Several no-cost sound meter apps are available, allowing you to check noise levels around you. To get accurate results, measure from the distance you usually are from the sound source.
Regular use of this monitoring tool can improve your understanding of your surroundings, facilitating 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. Headphones and earbuds, while convenient, frequently carry understated dangers. It’s important 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. To protect your ears, never turn your earbuds above 50% of their maximum volume. If you need to raise the volume higher to hear, that’s a signal your hearing may already be damaged.
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. It is in fact harmful to increase the volume excessively just to override external noise. A better alternative is to use noise-canceling headphones, as they let you listen to music or podcasts at a significantly lower and safer volume. If you don’t have noise-canceling headphones, earplugs can be an effective alternative.
5. Always use earplugs in loud 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 straightforward but effective tool for hearing protection.
Custom-fitted earplugs are available for those who need them regularly, providing better comfort and protection than generic options. In any loud setting, don’t be reluctant to use them.
6. While at work, follow safety recommendations
critically, if your occupation exposes you to loud machinery or equipment, you must obey the established safety guidelines for auditory protection. Some workplaces may minimize the risks, but those who claim “it’s not that loud” may already have significant hearing loss and don’t realize the current noise levels. It is vital to protect your hearing by wearing the necessary 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 increase the space from the noise source. The advantage of distance is that it decreases 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.
The example of fireworks is instructive. Even if a 150 dB firework explosion appears distant, being close to the launch site means the noise could still be over 120 dB, resulting in immediate damage. You can nonetheless 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
Should you already be dealing with hearing loss, it is crucial that you take action so it doesn’t progress. This kind of impairment will not resolve itself; it only advances. Nearly 1 in 10 adults between the ages of 55 and 64 has noticeable hearing loss, and those numbers increase dramatically in older age.
Ignoring the early symptoms of hearing loss only accelerates its progression. 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.
Act now for better hearing
National Protect Your Hearing Month is an ideal reminder to focus on your hearing health. Whether you’ve already experienced some hearing loss or want to prevent future damage, these simple steps can make a big difference.
To avoid future regret, arrange a hearing test today and take responsibility for your auditory health.