We are enveloped by noise in our everyday existence. From lawnmowers and road noise to personal audio devices, the world is louder than ever. Such loud conditions can negatively impact your hearing if awareness is lacking. The observance of National Protect Your Hearing Month in October provides the perfect opportunity to prioritize the maintenance of this key sense.

How to preserve your hearing: 8 key methods

Luckily, a few effortless measures exist that allow you to insulate your hearing from common environmental sounds. The following are eight primary pointers for maintaining your hearing health.

1. Become familiar with noise levels and their affect

To begin preventing hearing loss, you must know when noise intensity is dangerously high. Different sounds produce varying decibel (dB) levels, and prolonged exposure can lead to permanent hearing loss. Consult this brief summary:

• Lawn mowers and heavy traffic fall into the 85–90 dB range, which is safe for up to 2 hours of exposure.
• Exposure to 100 dB sounds, such as those from construction equipment or motorcycles, risks hearing damage in only 15 minutes.
• Instant damage is possible after merely a few seconds of exposure to noises over 110 dB, like explosions, gunshots, or fireworks.

Taking a preventative approach to noise recognition can help you avoid environments that are hazardous to your ears.

2. Determine sound levels yourself

Are you interested in discovering the true loudness of your environment? A smartphone makes measuring sound levels easy. Several no-cost sound meter apps are available, allowing you to test noise levels around you. The key to getting exact data is to take the measurement from the distance you normally maintain from the origin of the sound.

Regular use of this app can enhance your understanding of your surroundings, facilitating smarter choices about hearing protection.

3. Don’t crank up the volume on your devices

Listening to music or podcasts at excessive volumes is one of the most common ways people damage their hearing over time. Headphones and earbuds, while convenient, frequently carry understated dangers. It’s important that many headphones can reach 100 dB, a level that can induce hearing loss in only 15 minutes of use.

Because they listen with earbuds at high volumes, more than a billion young people worldwide are currently facing a risk of hearing loss. To protect your ears, never turn your earbuds above 50% of their maximum volume. Having to increase the volume past this point to hear suggests that you may already have some hearing damage.

4. Avoid using music to drown out background noise

When working in a noisy environment or residing in a loud neighborhood, you may be tempted to use headphones to mask the surrounding noise. But cranking up the volume to overpower outside noise is harmful. Instead, consider using noise-canceling headphones, which allow you to enjoy your music or podcasts at a much lower, less hazardous volume. Should noise-canceling headphones not be an option, simple earplugs serve as a viable alternative.

5. Always utilize earplugs in noisy environments

For anyone often in loud environments—whether at concerts, sporting events, or while operating heavy machinery—earplugs are a must. They are small, affordable, and easy to carry, making them a straightforward but effective tool for hearing protection.

Individuals who require earplugs often can obtain custom-fitted ones, which give superior protection and comfort compared to standard types. Never think twice about use earplugs when you are in a noisy location.

6. Follow safety guidelines at work

critically, if your occupation exposes you to loud machinery or equipment, you must obey the established safety guidelines for auditory protection. While some employers may disregard the danger, those who insist “it’s not that loud” might already have serious hearing damage and be unaware of the actual volume. Protect yourself by following guidelines and wearing suitable protective equipment.

7. Move further away from loud noise

The most effective means of hearing protection can often be just creating distance from the source of the loud sound. Distance diminishes the intensity of sound impacting your ears, thereby minimize damage. For example, standing 20 feet away from a noise source producing 110 dB reduces it to around 100 dB—safe for up to 15 minutes of exposure.

Fireworks offer a good example. While a firework explosion registers at 150 dB, if you are close to where it launches, the sound can still surpass 120 dB, which can cause instant harm. You can nonetheless enjoy the display at a safer level, below 100 dB, by being 2,000 feet away (the length of about five football fields).

8. Existing hearing loss needs to be addressed promptly

Any existing hearing loss demands prompt action to keep it from escalating. Hearing loss doesn’t go away on its own; it progresses. Statistics show that approximately 1 out of 10 adults in the 55-to-64 age group have serious hearing loss, and this percentage jumps in later years.

Ignoring the early indicators of hearing loss only accelerates its progression. Typically, individuals delay seeking professional assistance by a full 7 years. Your ability to conserve the hearing you still have is improved the earlier you see a hearing specialist to review options like hearing aids.

Start protecting your hearing now

National Protect Your Hearing Month is an ideal reminder to prioritize your hearing health. These basic steps are effective and can make a big change, whether your goal is to mitigate existing hearing loss or stop future impairment.

Don’t delay—book a hearing test now and gain control over your hearing health before the opportunity is gone.