We want to address your issues and concerns about protecting
your hearing. Below are questions we hear most frequently. We bet
you have many of the same questions, so we are including our answers
to each one.
Can loud noises really damage my ears?
Is it permanent?
How loud is too loud?
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What else, besides
loud sound, causes hearing loss?
After concerts my ears
sometimes ring – why does that happen?
Why are concerts allowed
to be so loud?
What happens to my
ears when I listen to loud music for too long?
I’ve heard there
is no cure for hearing loss – is that true?
If I wear earplugs,
will I still be able to enjoy the music?
My friends would think
I’m weird if I wear earplugs – what else can I do?
Where can I get earplugs?
How is hearing tested?
Where can I go for
a hearing test?
How can I convince
my family and friends that loud noise is bad?
Are headphones better
than Ear Buds?
Is hearing loss hereditary?
My ears don’t
hurt and my hearing seems fine – why should I be concerned?
Who can I talk to
if I am concerned about my hearing?
Can loud noises really damage my ears?
Is it permanent?
Absolutely. We're here to let you know what you can do to protect
yourself. Hearing loss from excessive exposure to loud sound is
painless, progressive, and permanent. The good news is that you
can prevent it from happening to you simply with smart listening
habits.
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How loud is too loud?
- Limit your exposure to sounds that exceed 85 decibels (dB).
Examples of common sounds that typically exceed 85dB:
- Motorcycles, hair dryers, hand drill, lawn mowers and leaf
blowers - 85- 100dB
- Woodshops, chainsaws, small firecrackers - 100-110dB
- Rock concerts - 100-120dB
- Ambulance sirens, jet engines at close range, pneumatic drills
- 119-140dB
Compare the loudness of these activities with that of a normal
conversation with your friends, which averages 60dB.
If you really want to know how loud the sounds are in your environment,
you can use a sound level meter to measure the sound pressure level
(SPL) of different activities. Sound level meters are commonly
available at electronics stores.
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What else, besides loud sound, causes
hearing loss?
While 30% of all hearing loss is noise-induced, hearing loss can
be caused by a variety of other factors. Some forms are hereditary,
while others can stem from infections, medications, deformities
in the structure of the ear, head injuries, and in extremely rare
cases, tumors. Damage to the ear drum or middle ear and even too
much ear wax can cause hearing loss.
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After concerts my ears sometimes ring – why
does that happen?
The sensation of ringing or roaring sounds in one or both ears
(called "head noise" or "tinnitus") is a symptom
that can be triggered by a variety of factors. Noticeable head
noise can occur if you traumatize your inner ear ("acoustic
trauma") by over-exposing yourself to extreme sound decibels.
Attending a live concert - whether it be hip-hop, rock 'n roll,
jazz, gospel or country music - can typically expose you to an
average of 110dB. Exposing your unprotected ear to 110dB for longer
than a minute may induce tinnitus and hearing loss. Stress, fatigue,
and poor diet can make head noise seem worse.
Often, the sensation of ringing or roaring sounds in one or both
ears is accompanied by a loss of sound sensation (known as a "threshold
shift") in which sounds seem temporarily muffled or less clear.
With repeated exposure, you will multiply your chances of longer-term
head noise and permanent hearing loss.
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Why are concerts allowed to be so loud?
It has much to do with popular demand and no public oversight to
regulate concert sound environments. Concert producers and bands
are free to deliver an experience of sound that they believe
their audience will enjoy. It's also the result of the audience
becoming desensitized to loud sound with repeated exposure. That
said, if the audience doesn't let the concert producers and performers
know that they prefer the sound turned down to a safer level,
chances are they'll continue to keep the volume up. Unfortunately,
most of them aren't aware of the potential harm they may be inflicting
on their audience's hearing health.
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What happens to my ears when I listen
to loud music for too long?
When a person is exposed to excessive sound levels, sensitive structures
of the inner ear can be damaged, resulting in permanent hearing
loss. These structures can be injured by exposure to a brief but
intense sound, such as an explosion, as well as from repeated exposure
to excessive sound levels over time.
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I’ve heard there is no cure for
hearing loss – is that true?
Surgical procedures, implants, and hearing aids can do wonderful
things to help many people who have hearing loss. In fact, our
scientists at House Ear Institute lead the way in improving technologies
and treatments for hearing loss. But the fact is that there is
no real cure for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) or other forms
of loss where the sensitive structures within your inner ear are
permanently damaged. Some other forms of hearing loss, which don't
involve damage to the inner ear, may be corrected and typically
relate to the middle ear or external ear. For example, a physician
may correct hearing loss caused by excessive ear wax by removing
the wax that is blocking your ear canal.
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If I wear earplugs, will I still be able
to enjoy the music?
Absolutely! There are a variety of earplugs and earmuffs that will
lower the volume while still letting you enjoy the experience of
high quality sound. While foam plugs are great for everyday recreational
use, other plugs can lower the high and low sounds ("frequencies")
equally. Either way, you can still hear and enjoy the music - and
if it's loud, you'll be able to enjoy it longer!
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My friends would think I’m weird
if I wear earplugs – what else can I do?
The best thing to do if you're in a place where the noise level
exceeds 85dB is limit your exposure time. If you can't get away
from the loud sound, then try earmuffs, which in many ways resemble
headphones. Let your friends know that enjoying the sound for the
rest of your life is important to you. How weird is it not to care
about being able to hear a great concert or to have conversations
with your friends and family? Why risk all that?
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Where can I get earplugs?
Earplugs are hearing protection that you can buy over the counter
at your local drugstore or supermarket. There are a variety of
brand names that offer safe, high quality protection. How can
you tell what's good? To be on the safe side, double check the
packaging to ensure the earplugs have an NRR (noise reduction
rating) in excess of 9dB. Most pre-molded and disposable foam
plugs have an NRR in excess of 20dB. Also, make sure the packaging
offers instructions on how to insert them in your ear and position
them so they work.
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How is hearing tested?
A periodic hearing test by a licensed audiologist or physician
is the best way to monitor personal hearing health. Today a variety
of hearing tests are commonly available through your hearing
health professional. Each type of test is unique in function
and purpose, and a provider can help determine which ones are
the most appropriate for your needs.
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Where can I go for a hearing test?
Any licensed audiologist or ear, nose and throat medical doctor
can test your hearing and talk to you about it. They can recommend
hearing protection, assistive listening devices, and other advice
tailored for your own individual needs and lifestyle. If you're
under 18, talk to your parents about it first.
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How can I convince my family and friends
that loud noise is bad?
It’s the one type of permanent hearing loss that can be prevented.
Imagine what life would be like if you couldn’t hear great
music, conversations with your friends and family or the sounds
of life around you. Unfortunately, that’s a very real scenario
for many young and middle-aged people who have trashed their ears
by exposing themselves to extreme sound levels over time. Most
people who work in professional audio today can attest that too
much exposure to loud noise can destroy your hearing, and will
do whatever they can to protect themselves from this type of damage.
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Are headphones better than Ear Buds?
Not necessarily. It all depends on how loud you've set the volume
on your MP3 player or audio receiver.
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Is hearing loss hereditary?
Some types of hearing loss are hereditary, but noise-induced hearing
loss (NIHL) is not one of them and is preventable. NIHL accounts
for about 30% of all hearing loss.
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My ears don’t hurt and my hearing
seems fine – why should I be concerned?
Noise-induced hearing loss is usually painless. Its onset can often
be so gradual that it's not always realized until it becomes difficult
to have conversations with your friends and family because you
can no longer hear their words or discriminate common sounds in
your everyday world.
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Who can I talk to if I am concerned
about my hearing?
Talk to a licensed audiologist or physician. If you’re under
18, talk to your parents first.
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