Hearing protection: How loud is too loud?

Nov 27, 2012 in Hearing Protection

Hearing protection: How loud is too loud?

One of the best ways you can go about protecting your hearing is by ensuring that you aren’t being exposed to excessive levels of noise on a regular basis.

On a day-to-day basis, there are many things that you can’t do a great deal about when it comes to loud noises, such as car horns, screaming kids and loud music in bars and restaurants.

However, there are a number of things you can do and it is these that can help protect your hearing and ensure you don’t suffer from tinnitus or hearing loss further down the line.

It doesn’t matter how old you are either. People often assume that the damage has already been done, no matter how old they are, but it’s never too late to make a change and limit the amount of loud noise your ears have to deal with.

iPods and TV

One of the main causes of noise, and excessive noise at that, are personal stereos, such as iPods, and televisions.

In a busy public environment such as a train or bus, it often gets loud and it can be tempting to simply crank up your music to drown out fellow travellers.

However, this can be damaging, and instead you should either try and cope with a lower level of music or try standing in a quieter area of the vehicle.

If you’re at home and you’re trying to watch the TV amid a loud of racket then it’s best to, rather than turning the volume up, ask those around you to try and keep the noise down.

Not only will you be protecting your own hearing, but theirs as well.

Work

The place where we spend a great deal of our day is the workplace and it’s imperative that you keep your hearing protected here too.

If you work regularly with loud noises and machinery, ensure you have adequate equipment to protect against it, while if fellow workers are being too noisy, a quiet word can work wonders.