Acoustic interference is an unavoidable aspect of modern life. Our surroundings—from commute sounds and lawnmowers to music via earbuds—is increasingly loud. The growing volume of sound poses a significant risk to your auditory health unless precautions are taken. With National Protect Your Hearing Month taking place in October, now is the best time to dedicate attention to preserving your hearing.
How to preserve your hearing: 8 key methods
It’s a relief that basic actions can be implemented to shield your ears from the ambient noise you encounter daily. The following are eight primary pointers for protecting your hearing health.
1. Understand noise levels and their impact
To begin preventing hearing loss, you must develop an awareness of when noise intensity is dangerously high. Varying noises generate different decibel (dB) measurements; spending too much time around loud ones can result in unrecoverable hearing damage. Here’s a quick guide:
- 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.
- Over 110 dB: Fireworks, gunshots, explosions – Instant damage can happen after just a few seconds.
Taking a proactive approach to noise awareness can help you avoid environments that are hazardous to your ears.
2. Determine sound levels yourself
Curious about how loud your environment really is? You can easily gauge it using your smartphone. You can download various complimentary sound meter applications to monitor the noise in your vicinity. For the most precise results, ensure you measure the sound from your typical distance to the source.
Regular use of this monitoring tool can enhance your understanding of your surroundings, facilitating smarter choices about hearing protection.
3. Keep the volume down on your devices
Regularly playing music or podcasts too loudly is a leading contributor to cumulative hearing damage. The ease of headphones and earbuds often comes with hidden risks. For example, many headphones can surpass 100 dB, leading to hearing loss in just 15 minutes.
Today, over a billion young people are at risk of hearing loss from using earbuds at high volumes. To be safe, keep your earbud volume below 50% of its full potential to protect your hearing. 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
When working in a noisy environment or residing in a loud neighborhood, you may be tempted to use headphones to mask the surrounding noise. But cranking up the volume to overpower outside noise is damaging. Instead, consider using noise-canceling headphones, which allow you to enjoy your music or podcasts at a much lower, safer volume. In the absence of noise-canceling headphones, using earplugs is an good substitute.
5. Always utilize earplugs in noisy environments
Earplugs are absolutely necessary for individuals often in loud settings, such as concerts, sports events, or while using heavy machinery. Since they are small, affordable, and easy to transport, earplugs offer an uncomplicated but powerful method of hearing protection.
Individuals who use earplugs often can obtain custom-fitted ones, which give superior protection and comfort compared to standard types. You should always use them in all environments that are loud.
6. While at work, follow safety guidelines
critically, if your occupation exposes you to loud machinery or equipment, you must obey the established safety guidelines for auditory protection. Some workplaces may downplay 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. Take essential steps to protect yourself by observing all guidelines and wearing the right protective equipment.
7. Move further away from loud noise
Frequently, the best strategy for safeguarding your ears is merely to step away from the noise. By increasing distance, the sound intensity hitting your ears is lessened, which works to reduce damage. 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.
The example of fireworks demonstrates this well. While a firework explosion registers at 150 dB, if you are close to where it launches, the sound can still surpass 120 dB, which can cause instant harm. However, by seating yourself 2,000 feet away (approximately five football fields), you can experience the show at a safer level, under 100 dB.
8. Address existing hearing loss promptly
It’s key to seek help as soon as possible if you have any hearing loss to prevent further deterioration. Hearing loss doesn’t go away on its own; it progresses. 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 signs of hearing loss only accelerates its progression. Usually, individuals delay seeking treatment by a full 7 years. The sooner you consult with a hearing specialist and look into hearing aids or other treatments, the better your chances of preserving your remaining hearing.
Start protecting your hearing now
The observance of National Protect Your Hearing Month is an opportune time to place a high value on your auditory well-being. These fundamental steps are effective and can make a big change, whether your goal is to reduce existing hearing loss or stop it from happening.
Don’t delay—book a hearing test now and gain control over your hearing health before the opportunity is gone.