Noise is a ever-present part in our daily lives. Whether it’s lawnmowers, vehicles, or our own headphones, the auditory world has intensified. The expanding volume of sound poses a serious threat 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 essential sense.
How to safeguard your hearing: 8 key methods
Fortunately, there are easy steps you can take to protect your ears from the daily noise around you. We present eight vital pieces of advice to keep your hearing safe.
1. Grasp volume levels and their impact
To begin preventing hearing loss, you must develop an awareness of when noise intensity is too loud to tolerate. Diverse 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.
- At 100 dB (e.g., motorcycles, construction machinery), hearing damage can begin after only 15 minutes.
- Instant damage is possible after merely a few seconds of exposure to noises over 110 dB, like explosions, gunshots, or fireworks.
By being vigilant about how loud your surroundings are, you can successfully stay away from settings that pose a threat to your auditory health.
2. Check sound levels yourself
Curious about how loud your environment really is? Your smartphone offers an simple way to measure it. Several no-cost sound meter apps are available, allowing you to test noise levels around you. To get accurate results, measure from the distance you usually are from the sound source.
Using this feature regularly can help you better grasp your environment and make informed decisions about protecting your hearing.
3. Don’t crank up the volume on your devices
A major way people harm their hearing over time is by using their devices at loud volume settings. Headphones and earbuds, while convenient, frequently carry understated dangers. Many headphones, for instance, are capable of reaching volumes over 100 dB, which means hearing loss can occur in as little as 15 minutes.
Today, over a billion young people are at risk of hearing loss from using earbuds at high volumes. You should never set the volume on your earbuds higher than 50% of the maximum capacity if you want to preserve your ears. If you need to raise the volume higher to hear, that’s a clear indicator your hearing may already be damaged.
4. Avoid using music to drown out background noise
When working in a noisy environment or living in a loud neighborhood, you may be tempted to use headphones to mask the surrounding noise. However, turning the volume high enough to overpower the noise outside is dangerous for your hearing. The preferred solution is noise-canceling headphones, which permit listening to media at a much reduced and safer volume. If you don’t have noise-canceling headphones, earplugs can be an effective alternative.
5. Always utilize earplugs in loud environments
Whether you are at a concert, a sports event, or operating loud machinery, earplugs are crucial for those routinely exposed to loud environments. They are small, affordable, and easy to carry, making them a simple but effective tool for hearing protection.
Custom-fitted earplugs are available for those who need them regularly, providing better fit and protection than generic options. In any loud setting, don’t be reluctant to use them.
6. While at work, follow safety recommendations
If your job involves being around loud equipment or machinery, always follow safety protocols regarding hearing 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. Take essential steps to protect yourself by complying with all guidelines and wearing the designated 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 reaching your ears is lessened, which helps 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.
Consider fireworks as a perfect illustration. 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. By sitting 2,000 feet away (about five football fields), you can enjoy the show at a safer level below 100 dB.
8. Address existing hearing loss promptly
Any existing hearing loss demands prompt action to keep it from escalating. This kind of impairment will not disappear; it only advances. 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.
When initial signs of hearing loss are disregarded, it only causes the condition to progress faster. On average, people wait 7 years too long to seek help. By consulting a hearing specialist without delay and investigating treatments such as hearing aids, you maximize the potential for retaining your existing hearing.
Take action today
Take advantage of National Protect Your Hearing Month as a chance to make hearing health a top concern. 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.