Prevent Damaging Your Hearing – Are You At Risk?

What Can You Do?

Hearing loss is a gradual and normal part of the aging process. However, excessive noise is still the primary cause. Permanent hearing loss can occur almost instantly with unprotected exposure to certain sounds.

To protect yourself from noise:

- If the sound level at work exceeds 85 dB, reduce the noise level or wear hearing protection.

- Lower the volume of your television, stereo and iPod. Take special care if you use headphones.

- Be careful not to turn up your car stereo volume too loudly to compensate for noise from the engine or the wind.

- Wear custom noise filters or solid earplugs if you go to rock concerts or nightclubs, and don't stand near loud speakers.

- Wear noise-cancelling headphones or solid earplugs if you use noisy equipment such as drills or lawnmowers.

To avoid damage from foreign objects:

- Don't use cotton swabs to clean your ears. Doing so may push wax down onto your eardrum and can increase the production of wax and/or damage the eardrum.

- Avoid washing with unclean water to prevent ear infections.

What are decibels?

Decibels (dB) measure the intensity of sound: from 0 dB, which is the faintest sound the human ear can detect, to the noise of a rocket during launch, which can exceed 180 dB.

Experts typically consider exposure to more than 85 dB to be dangerous, which means things like motorcycles, headphones and lawnmowers have potential to lead to permanent hearing loss.