Loud sounds can cause damage to ears and hearing. Hearing can be damaged by a loud explosion or blast. Damage to hearing can also be caused by exposure to loud sounds over a period of time.
Many environments today are noisy and some can be hazardous to hearing. Noise exposure is today’s leading cause of preventable hearing loss.
Examples of Loud Sounds:
- 150 dB – Fireworks
- 120 dB – ?Jet engine
- 90 dB – Motorcycle
- 70 dB – Street traffic
Length of Time Before Constant Loud Sounds Can Cause Damage To Hearing:
- 91 dB ? 2 hours of exposure can be tolerated
- 100 dB ? Damage can occur within 15 minutes of exposure
- 112 dB ? Damage can occur within 1 minute of exposure
- 140 dB ? Immediate damage to hearing can occur
Common Items That Can Be Loud:
- Airplanes
- Amplified stereos
- Car Horn
- Firearms
- Firecrackers
- Garbage disposal
- Hairdryer
- Heavy machinery
- Lawnmower
- Leaf blower
- Motorcycles
- Mp3 players
- Power tools
- Sirens
- Snow blower
- Subway
How To Tell If Sounds May Be Too Loud:
- You cannot be heard without raising your voice
- You cannot have a conversation with someone that is 3ft. away
- You hear ringing or buzzing in your ear following exposure to noise
- You notice a decrease in your hearing following exposure to noise
Ways to Protect Your Hearing:
- Avoid excessive exposure to loud noise
- Consider purchasing products that are rated for noise
- Determine the right hearing protection for the environments you are in
- Lower the volume of loud sounds when possible
- Wear appropriate hearing protection when in noisy environments
Hearing tests are recommended for everyone, particularly if you have been exposed to workplace noise. Contact us or click here to arrange your?FREE?hearing test.