Acoustic interference is an perpetual element of modern life. From power tools and traffic to personal audio devices, the world is more cacophonous than ever. 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 maintain this crucial sense.
How to preserve your hearing: 8 key methods
Fortunately, there are straightforward steps you can take to guard your hearing from the daily noise around you. The following are eight primary recommendations for maintaining your hearing health.
1. Understand volume levels and their impact
Being conscious of how loud is too loud is the initial step in avoiding hearing damage. Varying noises generate different decibel (dB) measurements; spending too much time around loud ones can result in unrecoverable hearing damage. A fast look is below:
- 85–90 dB: Lawn mowers, heavy traffic – Safe for up to 2 hours of exposure.
- 100 dB: Motorcycles, construction machinery – Hearing damage can occur in as little as 15 minutes.
- Instant damage is possible after merely a few seconds of exposure to noises over 110 dB, like explosions, gunshots, or fireworks.
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? A smartphone makes measuring sound levels easy. There are many free applications that function as sound meters, allowing you to assess surrounding noise levels. The key to getting exact data is to take the measurement from the distance you normally maintain from the origin of the sound.
Using this tool regularly can help you better understand your environment and make informed decisions about protecting your hearing.
3. Keep the volume down on your devices
Regularly playing music or podcasts too loudly is a primary contributor to cumulative hearing damage. The ease of headphones and earbuds often comes with unseen risks. Many headphones, for instance, are capable of reaching volumes over 100 dB, which means hearing loss can occur in as little as 15 minutes.
Current data suggests that more than a billion young individuals face the threat of hearing impairment due to loud earbud use. 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 clear indicator your hearing may already be damaged.
4. Never try to use music to drown out loud 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, safer volume. In the absence of noise-canceling headphones, using earplugs is an good substitute.
5. Always use earplugs in loud settings
For anyone frequently exposed loud environments—whether at concerts, sporting events, or while operating heavy machinery—earplugs are a must. They are a highly effective yet simple hearing protection solution, being compact, inexpensive, and portable.
If you use them often, custom-fitted earplugs can be obtained, offering improved protection and a better fit than off-the-shelf versions. You should always use them in any settings that are loud.
6. While at work, follow safety recommendations
Crucially, if your occupation exposes you to loud machinery or equipment, you must ensure you follow the established safety guidelines for auditory protection. While some employers may disregard the danger, those who insist “it’s not that loud” might already have noticeable hearing damage and be unaware of the actual volume. It is vital to protect your hearing by wearing the correct protective gear and abiding by the safety rules.
7. Move further away from loud noise
Often, 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 helps 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, leading to immediate 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
Any existing hearing loss requires prompt action to keep it from advancing. 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 rise sharply in older age.
Failing to address the first warning signs of auditory loss will only hasten its advancement. Typically, individuals delay seeking treatment by a full 7 years. By consulting a hearing specialist sooner and exploring treatments such as hearing aids, you significantly improve the potential for maintaining your existing hearing.
Start protecting your hearing now
Use National Protect Your Hearing Month as the ideal reminder to make hearing health a top concern. Whether you’ve already experienced some hearing loss or want to prevent future damage, these straightforward steps can make a big difference.
book a hearing test now and assume control over your hearing health before the opportunity is gone.