Hearing Loss & Impairments
Noise Awareness | How loud is too loud?
11
Apr
Apr
In the era of widespread headphone and earbud use, questions about the potential harm to hearing have become more prevalent. This concern is particularly relevant for younger generations who frequently engage in activities involving high-volume sounds. To address this, it’s essential to explore the thresholds of sound intensity that could be detrimental to our ears and understand the risks associated with various scenarios, such as listening to music through headphones or attending loud events like concerts and clubs.
The legal definition of too loud
The industrial audiology standard defines safe sound levels as a volume of 85dB for 8 hours. According to this rule, any increase in volume by 3dB halves the safe exposure time. For instance, 88dB is safe for 4 hours, 91dB for 2 hours, 94dB for 1 hour, and 97dB for 30 minutes. While this standard provides clarity for consistent industrial noise, applying it to real-life situations, such as music, proves challenging due to varying intensities.
What does this mean in real-life situations?
When we’re listening to or playing music, or attending a concert, gig, or festival, it’s difficult to tell what the intensity (or loudness) of the sound truly is. Think about a big piece of machinery. As it continues to work, the noise it produces is steady and consistent. Compare this to listening to a live concert. You might have softer sections and much louder sections! It’s estimated that a live concert, even a classical concert, can vary in volume from 80dB to 120dB! Think about that rule we mentioned before and work it out right up to 120dB. According to that rule, you can only be safely exposed to levels of 120dB for 13 seconds! If you imagine a weekend festival, with exposure to varying levels of sound for over 72 hours (about 3 days), you can bet that the volume is loud enough to cause damage over that length of time.
Even listening to music on headphones can be damaging if done for long enough. An iPhone with headphones has a maximum volume output of 102dB. That only allows for 8 minutes of safe listening! Luckily with your listening device, you have the control to reduce the volume to protect your hearing.
Signs that sound is too loud for your ears
So how do you know if you’re listening to something too loud? It can be tricky to tell, especially if there is another competing noise in the environment. The car is a good example. With the road noise and noise of the car’s engine, it can be easy to turn the volume much louder without even noticing it. Have you ever been driving with the music playing, and then stop the car and think ‘wow, that’s loud!’? The music hasn’t got any louder, but without the competing car noise around it, it becomes much more noticeable. So how can you tell whether the volume is damaging to your ears? Experiment with your car’s volume system and a free sound level meter app. Remember the rule about time versus volume and figure out which volume level you can safely listen to for your commute to work- and then don’t be tempted to turn it louder than that!
What about at an event?
If you can’t hear the person next to you or have to shout to be heard, the volume is probably too loud for you. You’ll also know after the gig, if you notice a dull feeling or a ringing sound in your ears, you may have damaged your hearing! This dull sensation is called a Temporary Threshold Shift, and, while it is temporary, if done enough it can lead to permanent hearing loss. The ringing is called tinnitus, a response of the auditory nerve and hair cells of the cochlea to being overstimulated. This can also be a sign that you may have damaged your hearing, and it can become permanent. There are decibel reader apps that are available to download onto your smartphone or tablet, but these should only be used as a guide and aren’t designed for professional use.
Remember, the louder the noise is and the longer you are exposed to it, the higher the risk to your hearing. You can protect your hearing by lowering the volume of music, reducing the time you’re exposed to loud noise, and using earplugs or ear defenders in noisy environments.
Long term damage to hearing
As we mentioned in the previous paragraph, you can experience an immediate change in hearing ability and ringing in the ears after being in a loud place. However, not everyone notices a temporary threshold shift or tinnitus. Does this mean that your ears haven’t been affected? Not necessarily. Noise damage is a long-lasting effect and can continue to decrease your hearing ability long after the exposure occurs. It’s been found that noise damage to the hearing often only becomes visible on a hearing test about 7 years after the damage occurred. This means that young people who think their ears are fine might be in for a big surprise later in life. Once the cochlea’s hair cells are damaged by noise exposure, they do not regenerate, leading to permanent hearing loss.
Protect your hearing before it’s too late
Taking preventive measures is crucial, especially for younger individuals. When using headphones, reduce the volume to around 70% to minimize the risk. In the car, maintain comfortable volume levels, considering that road noise may influence perceived loudness. When attending loud events, consider using custom-made music earplugs to preserve the music’s quality without distorting the sound or altering balance. Protecting your hearing early on can significantly reduce the risk of permanent hearing loss later in life.
If you have any questions, comment below, or contact us. With kind permission of Leveson Berridge Buitendag Audiology
The legal definition of too loud
The industrial audiology standard defines safe sound levels as a volume of 85dB for 8 hours. According to this rule, any increase in volume by 3dB halves the safe exposure time. For instance, 88dB is safe for 4 hours, 91dB for 2 hours, 94dB for 1 hour, and 97dB for 30 minutes. While this standard provides clarity for consistent industrial noise, applying it to real-life situations, such as music, proves challenging due to varying intensities.
What does this mean in real-life situations?
When we’re listening to or playing music, or attending a concert, gig, or festival, it’s difficult to tell what the intensity (or loudness) of the sound truly is. Think about a big piece of machinery. As it continues to work, the noise it produces is steady and consistent. Compare this to listening to a live concert. You might have softer sections and much louder sections! It’s estimated that a live concert, even a classical concert, can vary in volume from 80dB to 120dB! Think about that rule we mentioned before and work it out right up to 120dB. According to that rule, you can only be safely exposed to levels of 120dB for 13 seconds! If you imagine a weekend festival, with exposure to varying levels of sound for over 72 hours (about 3 days), you can bet that the volume is loud enough to cause damage over that length of time.
Even listening to music on headphones can be damaging if done for long enough. An iPhone with headphones has a maximum volume output of 102dB. That only allows for 8 minutes of safe listening! Luckily with your listening device, you have the control to reduce the volume to protect your hearing.
Signs that sound is too loud for your ears
So how do you know if you’re listening to something too loud? It can be tricky to tell, especially if there is another competing noise in the environment. The car is a good example. With the road noise and noise of the car’s engine, it can be easy to turn the volume much louder without even noticing it. Have you ever been driving with the music playing, and then stop the car and think ‘wow, that’s loud!’? The music hasn’t got any louder, but without the competing car noise around it, it becomes much more noticeable. So how can you tell whether the volume is damaging to your ears? Experiment with your car’s volume system and a free sound level meter app. Remember the rule about time versus volume and figure out which volume level you can safely listen to for your commute to work- and then don’t be tempted to turn it louder than that!
What about at an event?
If you can’t hear the person next to you or have to shout to be heard, the volume is probably too loud for you. You’ll also know after the gig, if you notice a dull feeling or a ringing sound in your ears, you may have damaged your hearing! This dull sensation is called a Temporary Threshold Shift, and, while it is temporary, if done enough it can lead to permanent hearing loss. The ringing is called tinnitus, a response of the auditory nerve and hair cells of the cochlea to being overstimulated. This can also be a sign that you may have damaged your hearing, and it can become permanent. There are decibel reader apps that are available to download onto your smartphone or tablet, but these should only be used as a guide and aren’t designed for professional use.
Remember, the louder the noise is and the longer you are exposed to it, the higher the risk to your hearing. You can protect your hearing by lowering the volume of music, reducing the time you’re exposed to loud noise, and using earplugs or ear defenders in noisy environments.
Long term damage to hearing
As we mentioned in the previous paragraph, you can experience an immediate change in hearing ability and ringing in the ears after being in a loud place. However, not everyone notices a temporary threshold shift or tinnitus. Does this mean that your ears haven’t been affected? Not necessarily. Noise damage is a long-lasting effect and can continue to decrease your hearing ability long after the exposure occurs. It’s been found that noise damage to the hearing often only becomes visible on a hearing test about 7 years after the damage occurred. This means that young people who think their ears are fine might be in for a big surprise later in life. Once the cochlea’s hair cells are damaged by noise exposure, they do not regenerate, leading to permanent hearing loss.
Protect your hearing before it’s too late
Taking preventive measures is crucial, especially for younger individuals. When using headphones, reduce the volume to around 70% to minimize the risk. In the car, maintain comfortable volume levels, considering that road noise may influence perceived loudness. When attending loud events, consider using custom-made music earplugs to preserve the music’s quality without distorting the sound or altering balance. Protecting your hearing early on can significantly reduce the risk of permanent hearing loss later in life.
If you have any questions, comment below, or contact us. With kind permission of Leveson Berridge Buitendag Audiology