Hearing Protection

Hearing damage is caused due to numerous reasons, but one of the major causes of hearing loss is exposure to unsafe levels of noise over a prolonged period of time. Since noise-induced hearing loss is irreversible, it is important that we learn about effective techniques to protect our hearing.

Generally speaking, any sound level that rises above 80dB is considered harmful for human hearing. Exposure to noises above 80dB for extended periods of time can result in tinnitus and even permanent damage to hearing.

It might be difficult to make out what level of noises should be considered unsafe. As a rule of thumb, if you need to shout in order to be heard, it indicates that the noise level is too loud.

Just to give you an idea about the daily household objects that produce unsafe levels of noise, food blenders generate around 85dB of noise. Lawn mowers pack in a whopping 94dB, and fire alarms can reach noise levels as loud as 100dB.

Stepping outside the house, the activities we enjoy may also cause hearing loss in the long term. We may love going on long drives but heavy traffic can generate noise levels up to 88dB. Music played at night clubs generally clock in at around 110dB, while rock concerts can produce sound levels as high as 120dB.

With so many different ways of losing your hearing surrounding you on a daily basis, it is imperative to learn about effective ways to safeguard your hearing. You can start by using a pair of earplugs before exposing yourself to noisy environments. You can buy cost effective foam earplugs or get customized ones that filter in important sounds like speech or music while filtering out unsafe levels of noise.

Another excellent way of protecting your hearing is to invest in a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones. These drown out background noise while letting you focus on the sounds you are listening to on your headphones. This lets you keep the volume level low and enjoy your favorite movie, music, or TV program at safer volume levels.

You can even protect your tiny tot’s hearing by getting ear defenders for your child. These reduce volume levels and do not exceed the recommended volume level of 80dB, so as to protect your child’s hearing.

Your hearing does not need to deteriorate due to noise. All you need to do is take certain precautions to safe guard your hearing by turning down the volume to a maximum of 60% of the total available volume and limit your listening time to 60 minutes at a stretch. Simple measures can go a long way in protecting your hearing for all your years to come.