Acoustic interference is an unavoidable element of modern life. Whether it’s lawnmowers, heavy traffic, or our own headphones, the aural world has intensified. The growing volume of sound poses a significant threat to your auditory health unless precautions are taken. October is National Protect Your Hearing Month, making it the perfect time to emphasize how to maintain this essential sense.
8 actionable steps to protect your hearing
Fortunately, there are easy steps you can take to protect your ears from the everyday noise around you. The following are eight core pointers for maintaining your hearing health.
1. Grasp noise levels and their impact
The most important action for averting auditory damage is to recognize when a sound level becomes hazardous. Varying noises generate different decibel (dB) measurements; spending too much time around loud ones can result in unrecoverable hearing damage. Consult this brief summary:
- Lawn mowers and heavy traffic fall into the 85–90 dB range, which is safe for up to 2 hours of exposure.
- 100 dB: Motorcycles, construction machinery – Hearing damage can occur in as little as 15 minutes.
- Noises exceeding 110 dB (e.g., explosions, fireworks) can lead to immediate damage in just seconds.
A forward-thinking mindset regarding noise levels enables you to keep away from environments that are unsafe for your hearing.
2. Determine sound levels yourself
Want to know the actual volume of your surroundings? You can easily gauge it using your smartphone. There are many free applications that function as sound meters, allowing you to examine surrounding noise levels. To get accurate results, measure from the distance you usually are from the sound source.
Using this feature 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 leading contributor to progressive hearing damage. Despite their practicality, headphones and earbuds often conceal certain risks. For example, many headphones can surpass 100 dB, resulting in 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 protect your ears, never turn your earbuds above 50% of their maximum volume. 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. It is actually harmful to increase the volume too high just to override external noise. Instead, consider using noise-canceling headphones, which allow you to enjoy your music or podcasts at a much lower, less hazardous volume. Should noise-canceling headphones not be an option, simple earplugs serve as a viable alternative.
5. When in loud environments, use earplugs
For anyone often in loud environments—whether at concerts, sporting events, or while operating heavy machinery—earplugs are a must. Since they are small, affordable, and easy to transport, earplugs offer an easy but powerful means of hearing protection.
If you use them often, custom-fitted earplugs can be obtained, offering improved protection and a better fit than off-the-shelf versions. Never fail to use earplugs when you are in a noisy location.
6. While at work, follow safety guidelines
When your work involves being near loud machinery or equipment, you must strictly follow all safety procedures for hearing 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 designated 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 reaching 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.
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 (roughly five football fields), you can enjoy the show at a safer level below 100 dB.
8. Address existing hearing loss promptly
If you’ve already experienced hearing loss, it’s essential to act before it worsens. This kind of impairment will not resolve itself; it only gets worse. Statistics show that nearly 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 signs of hearing loss only accelerates its progression. It is common for people to wait an average of 7 years longer than they should before getting professional help. Your ability to protect the hearing you still have is greatly enhanced the earlier you see a hearing specialist to review options like hearing aids.
Act now for better hearing
Take advantage of 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 avoid future damage, these simple steps can make a big difference.
To avoid future regret, arrange a hearing test today and take responsibility for your auditory health.