Everyday Sounds That Could Damage Your Hearing

You know a loud concert can damage your hearing- however there are so many other sources of damage around you that may come as a surprise.

Noise Induced Hearing Loss

The loudness of sound, or the volume, is measured in decibels (dBA) and any sound under a safe listening threshold can be endured indefinitely without sustaining damage to the inner ear. However, once the threshold is passed, the vibration of sound can be intense enough to cause damage, leaving you with lifelong hearing loss.

We collect sound with our ears, but these sounds must travel as vibrations and then be converted to electrical impulses which can be received by the brain in order for us to complete the process. Our ears achieve this with the use of tiny hair like cells, called stereocilia. However, when sounds get too loud, the vibrations cause these cells to begin to shatter, degrading how much sound information we can receive. It usually doesn’t happen all at once, but as the decibel rises it can.

Understanding a Safe Listening Threshold

Any sound below 85 dBA can be endured indefinitely. While it may become a source of stress, such as living near an airport or on a busy street, it won’t damage your ears. However, once sounds reach 85 dBA or higher it can cause lasting damage. The human ear can withstand 85 dBA for 8 hours before damage starts to occur. For those who work in noisy environments this can build up over months and years of working—however, as the decibels rise, the exposure time quickly gets briefer. In fact, for every increase of three decibels, the exposure time is cut in half. At 88 dBA it only takes four hours for hearing loss to begin and by the time a sound is at 95 dBA it can take under an hour! We may be surprised just how many sounds we come across everyday put our hearing at risk. Here are just a few:

Going to a game (90-140 dB). 

We know that rock and roll and club life is just not safe for your ears, however, many are surprised that those who attend sporting events are at just as much of a risk. Even an outdoor event can be loud enough to leave you with a lifetime of hearing loss.  A University of Michigan study discovered that the sound levels at baseball games averaged 94 decibels but could be as high as 114 decibels. Even more alarming, the record for the loudest game in history goes to a Kansas City Chiefs football game in 2014, where the swelling of the  crowd reached 142.2 decibels – loud enough to cause permanent hearing damage almost immediately. 

Woodworking and home projects (90-112 dB).

There’s an amazing feeling of doing a woodworking project on your own. However, sounds of power tools such as power saws and drills may reach levels loud enough to cause lasting damage. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that a typical circular saw can damage your hearing in just one minute, while shop vacuums, table saws and sanders can cause damage over time.

Using a gas-powered lawn mower, leaf blower or snow blower (85-100 dB). 

It’s a great way for us to get outside and get some exercise and save some money but caring for our yards can cause hearing damage. Lawn mowers typically register at 80 to 85 decibels while leaf blowers and snow blowers can be as loud as 100 decibels. 

Listening to music with headphones or earbuds (up to 110 dB).

Headphones are so commonplace in our culture that we rarely realize how dangerous they actually are for our ears. Many have the potential to deliver sounds as loud as 110 decibels, a level that can harm your hearing in just 5 minutes. Headphones connected to personal listening players may be one of the largest sources of hearing damage affecting a much younger generation. As a rule of thumb, “If it’s loud enough that the person standing next to you can hear what you’re listening to,” he says, “it’s loud enough to damage your hearing.”

Schedule a Hearing Exam

It’s hard to know if you have hearing damage, but that doesn’t mean it’s not affecting you. If you are over the age of 60, it’s recommended to test your hearing annually. Schedule your next appointment with us today!