Noise is a constant presence in our daily lives. Whether it’s lawnmowers, heavy traffic, or our own headphones, the aural world has intensified. The growing volume of sound poses a serious risk to your auditory health unless precautions are taken. October is National Protect Your Hearing Month, making it the perfect time to focus on how to protect this essential sense.
How to preserve your hearing: 8 key methods
It’s a relief that uncomplicated actions can be implemented to shield your ears from the ambient noise you encounter daily. The following are eight major pointers for maintaining your hearing health.
1. Know noise levels and their impact
The initial action for staving off auditory damage is to recognize when a sound level becomes excessive. Varying noises generate different decibel (dB) measurements; spending too much time around loud ones can result in unrecoverable hearing damage. Here’s a quick reference:
- Lawn mowers and heavy traffic fall into the 85–90 dB range, which is safe for up to 2 hours of listening.
- Exposure to 100 dB sounds, such as those from construction equipment or motorcycles, risks hearing damage in only 15 minutes.
- Over 110 dB: Fireworks, gunshots, explosions – Instant damage can happen after just a few seconds.
A forward-thinking mindset regarding noise levels allows you to prevent environments that are detrimental for your hearing.
2. Measure sound levels yourself
Are you interested in discovering the true loudness of your environment? A smartphone makes checking sound levels easy. There are many free applications that act as sound meters, allowing you to assess surrounding noise levels. To get accurate results, measure from the distance you usually are from the sound source.
Regular use of this monitoring tool can enhance your understanding of your surroundings, facilitating smarter choices about hearing protection.
3. Don’t crank up the volume on your devices
Listening to music or podcasts at high volumes is one of the most common ways people damage their hearing over time. The convenience of headphones and earbuds often comes with unseen risks. For example, many headphones can surpass 100 dB, leading to hearing loss in just 15 minutes.
Because they listen with earbuds at high volumes, more than a billion young people worldwide are currently facing a risk of hearing loss. To be safe, keep your earbud volume below 50% of its full level to protect your hearing. If you need to raise the volume higher to hear, that’s a sign your hearing may already be damaged.
4. Avoid using music to drown out background noise
If you live 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 damaging. Opt instead for noise-canceling headphones; these devices make it possible to listen to your music or podcasts at a considerably reduced, safer level. In the absence of noise-canceling headphones, using earplugs is an good substitute.
5. When in noisy settings, use earplugs
For anyone frequently exposed loud environments—whether at concerts, sporting events, or while operating heavy machinery—earplugs are a must. They are small, affordable, and easy to carry, making them a simple but effective tool for hearing protection.
Individuals who use earplugs often can get custom-fitted ones, which give superior protection and comfort compared to standard types. In any loud setting, don’t forget to use them.
6. While at work, follow safety recommendations
If your job involves being around loud equipment or machinery, always adhere to safety protocols regarding hearing protection. While some employers may underestimate the danger, those who insist “it’s not that loud” might already have noticeable hearing damage and be unaware of the actual volume. You should protect your hearing by using the necessary protective gear and abiding by the safety rules.
7. Distance yourself from loud noise
The simplest means of hearing protection can often be just creating distance from the source of the loud sound. The benefit of distance is that it lessens the sound’s intensity before it reaches your ears, thus helping to minimize the risk of harm. As an illustration, a noise source at 110 dB will be reduced to roughly 100 dB if you stand 20 feet away—a level that allows for up to 15 minutes of safe 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 go beyond 120 dB, causing instant damage. You can still enjoy the display at a safer level, below 100 dB, by being 2,000 feet away (the length of about five football fields).
8. Existing hearing loss needs to be addressed promptly
If you’ve already noticed hearing loss, it’s essential to act before it worsens. Hearing loss doesn’t go away on its own; it progresses. Nearly 1 in 10 adults between the ages of 55 and 64 has significant hearing loss, and those numbers increase dramatically in older age.
Failing to address the first indications of auditory loss will only hasten 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.
Start protecting your hearing now
The observance of National Protect Your Hearing Month is an great time to place a high value on your auditory well-being. These easy-to-follow actions can have a significant impact, regardless of whether you’re seeking to prevent future harm or you’ve already suffered some hearing loss.
Schedule a hearing test today and take control of your hearing health before it’s too late.