Acoustic interference is an unavoidable feature of modern life. From power tools and traffic to personal audio devices, the world is more cacophonous than ever. This increase in noise can have a harmful effect on your hearing if you’re not careful. The observance of National Protect Your Hearing Month in October provides the best opportunity to focus on the maintenance of this key sense.

How to safeguard your hearing: 8 key methods

Fortunately, there are straightforward steps you can take to protect your ears from the daily noise around you. The following are eight primary pointers for protecting your hearing health.

1. Grasp noise levels and their impact

The most important action for staving off auditory damage is to recognize when a sound level becomes excessive. The volume of various sounds is measured in decibels (dB), and being exposed to them for extended durations can cause lasting hearing impairment. Consult this brief summary:

• Sounds like heavy traffic or lawn mowers (85–90 dB) can be tolerated safely for a maximum of 2 hours.
• Exposure to 100 dB sounds, such as those from construction equipment or motorcycles, risks hearing damage in only 15 minutes.
• Noises exceeding 110 dB (e.g., explosions, fireworks) can lead to immediate damage in just seconds.

Taking a preventative approach to noise recognition can help you avoid environments that are hazardous to your ears.

2. Determine sound levels yourself

Curious about how loud your environment really is? Your smartphone offers an simple way to measure it. You can download a range of complimentary sound meter applications to evaluate the noise in your vicinity. The key to getting reliable data is to take the measurement from the distance you normally maintain from the origin of the sound.

Regular use of this monitoring tool can improve your understanding of your surroundings, leading to smarter choices about hearing protection.

3. Keep the volume down on your devices

Listening to music or podcasts at high volumes is one of the most common ways people impair their hearing over time. Headphones and earbuds, while convenient, frequently carry understated dangers. It’s noteworthy that numerous headphones can reach 100 dB, a level that can induce hearing loss in only 15 minutes of use.

Current data suggests that more than a billion young individuals face the threat of hearing impairment due to excessive earbud use. Crucially, keep your earbud volume below 50% of its full potential 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

When situated in a noisy environment or living 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 detrimental. 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 efficient substitute.

5. Always use earplugs in noisy environments

Whether you are at a concert, a sports event, or operating loud machinery, earplugs are critical for those often exposed to loud environments. They are small, affordable, and easy to carry, making them a straightforward but effective tool for hearing protection.

If you use them often, custom-fitted earplugs can be purchased, offering enhanced protection and a better fit than off-the-shelf versions. In any loud setting, don’t hesitate to use them.

6. While at work, follow safety guidelines

Crucially, if your occupation exposes you to loud machinery or equipment, you must obey the established safety guidelines for auditory protection. Be wary because some jobs may discount the risks; individuals claiming “it’s not that loud” could be suffering from major hearing loss and thus misjudging the true noise level. It is vital to protect your hearing by using the necessary 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. Distance lowers the intensity of sound impacting your ears, helping to minimize damage. To illustrate, moving 20 feet back from a 110 dB sound source can lower the level to about 100 dB, which is safe for 15 minutes of exposure.

Fireworks offer a good example. A firework exploding at 150 dB may seem far away, but if you’re near the launch site, the noise can still exceed 120 dB, causing instant 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 developed hearing loss, it’s critical to act before it worsens. Hearing loss doesn’t go away on its own; it progresses. Specifically, almost 10% of adults aged 55 to 64 suffer from substantial hearing loss, with the rates climbing steeply among older demographics.

When initial signs of hearing loss are ignored, it only causes the impairment to progress faster. On average, people wait 7 years too long to consult a specialist. By consulting a hearing specialist without delay and exploring treatments such as hearing aids, you significantly improve the potential for retaining your existing hearing.

Act now for better hearing

The observance of National Protect Your Hearing Month serves as an great 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 mitigate existing hearing loss or stop it from happening.

To avoid future regret, set up a hearing test today and take responsibility for your auditory health.