Noise is a ubiquitous part in our daily lives. Our environment—from commute sounds and lawnmowers to music via personal audio devices—is increasingly loud. This rise in noise can have a negative effect on your hearing if you’re not careful. As October marks National Protect Your Hearing Month, it serves as an opportune period to review how to safeguard this important sense.
How to shield your hearing: 8 key methods
Luckily, some simple measures exist that allow you to insulate your hearing from routine environmental sounds. Here are eight essential tips to secure your hearing.
1. Grasp noise levels and their impact
The initial action for staving off auditory damage is to determine when a sound level becomes excessive. Different sounds produce varying decibel (dB) levels, and long-term exposure can lead to permanent hearing loss. A fast look is below:
- Lawn mowers and heavy traffic fall into the 85–90 dB range, which is safe for up to 2 hours of exposure.
- At 100 dB (e.g., motorcycles, construction machinery), hearing damage can begin after 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 recognition can help you avoid environments that are hazardous to your ears.
2. Measure sound levels yourself
Are you interested in finding out the true loudness of your environment? You can easily gauge it using your smartphone. You can download a range of complimentary sound meter applications to monitor 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.
Using this application regularly can help you better interpret your environment and make educated decisions about protecting your hearing.
3. Keep the volume down on your devices
Listening to music or podcasts at excessive volumes is one of the most common ways people damage their hearing over time. Despite their handiness, headphones and earbuds often conceal certain risks. For example, many headphones can exceed 100 dB, resulting in 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 find yourself turning the volume up beyond this limit, it likely means some degree of hearing loss has already occurred.
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. But cranking up the volume to overpower outside noise is harmful. Instead, consider using noise-canceling headphones, which allow you to enjoy your music or podcasts at a much lower, less hazardous volume. In the absence of noise-canceling headphones, using earplugs is an effective substitute.
5. When in loud settings, use earplugs
For anyone often in 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 strategy, being compact, inexpensive, and portable.
Individuals who use earplugs often can get custom-fitted ones, which give superior protection and comfort compared to standard types. Never think twice about use earplugs when you are in a noisy location.
6. Adhere to safety guidelines at work
When your work necessitates being near loud machinery or equipment, you must diligently follow all safety procedures for hearing protection. Be wary because some jobs may ignore the risks; individuals claiming “it’s not that loud” could be suffering from substantial hearing loss and thus misjudging the true noise level. Protect yourself by following guidelines and wearing appropriate protective equipment.
7. Move further away from loud noise
Sometimes the best way to protect your ears is simply to move away from the noise source. By increasing distance, the sound intensity hitting your ears is lessened, which works to reduce damage. 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. By sitting 2,000 feet away (roughly five football fields), you can enjoy the show at a safer level below 100 dB.
8. Existing hearing loss needs to be addressed promptly
If you’ve already experienced hearing loss, it’s essential to act before it worsens. This kind of impairment will not disappear; it only gets worse. Statistics show that approximately 1 out of 10 adults in the 55-to-64 age group have serious hearing loss, and this percentage jumps in later years.
Ignoring the early indicators of hearing loss only accelerates its progression. It is common for people to wait an average of 7 years longer than they should before seeking a consultation. Your ability to protect the hearing you still have is greatly enhanced the earlier you see a hearing specialist to discuss options like hearing aids.
Act now for better hearing
Take advantage of National Protect Your Hearing Month as a chance to make hearing health a top concern. These easy-to-follow actions can have a significant impact, regardless of whether you’re seeking to avert future harm or you’ve already experienced some hearing loss.
Schedule a hearing test today and take control of your hearing health before it’s too late.