Everyday Activities That Could Harm Your Hearing

People's hearing can deteriorate for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it's because of the medications, other times old age. However, there are everyday activities that can negatively affect our hearing. 

Listening to sound through earphones and headphones 

We live in the digital age, and that means interacting with digital devices every day. Unfortunately, it also means listening to digital sound through earphones and headsets. If we aren't careful, this practice can seriously damage our hearing in the short and long term. Thankfully there are measures we can take to work against harmful practices.

Noise becomes harmful to the ears at the level of about 85 decibels. But consider that most digital devices have an output of 105 decibels on average. This means it is very easy to damage our ears when listing in loud environments like on trains and buses. Always take notice of the decibel level you're using; most devices these days have a warning feature. 

Public entertainment

Although public entertainment has been on hold through the pandemic, it will begin to be slowly reintroduced. Public entertainment can include things like live concerts, sports matches and nightclubs. Typically, these events use decibels level well over 100 decibels. This level of noise can easily damage the cilia in your ears and cause tinnitus and other damage. 

If you are going to a public entertainment event, remember to wear ear protection. This might be in the form of earplugs that are quite effective at blocking the most harmful effects of the noise. If you want more advice on how to guard against excessive noise levels, contact your hearing instrument specialist. 

Using power tools

Even if you only use a power tool for DIY purposes, it's important that you wear earplugs or earmuffs. Power tools generate over 100 decibels of sound which can easily damage the cilia in your ear. If you were given a choice between rust on your van or long-term hearing issues, which would you choose? 

The good news is you don't have to choose. You can eradicate the rust on your van and protect your ears by using earplugs or ear guards. If you work with power tools, it's even more important that you protect your ears as it can lead to long-term hearing loss. 

The traffic in the city

Do you live in a flat near a busy road or work on the roads? Even if you are a commuter, you may still be exposed to hazardous levels of noise that will affect the quality of your hearing in the short and long term. Traffic on roads typically causes decibel levels in the region of 80-90 decibels.

While 80-90 decibel levels may not sound like a lot, consistent exposure in the background would constitute hazardous noise for the ears. This decibel level will damage the cilia over time and make it harder for you to hear people when they talk. Equip yourself against this danger by wearing hearing protection. 

Children's toys

You wouldn't think that a bike or a squeaky toy could cause harm to anyone, let alone the target audience for the product. In reality, these items have high decibel levels that can put you and your child's hearing at risk. A bike horn, for example, when pressed unexpectedly, can produce decibel levels of up to 130 decibels. 

If your child has a toy with a loud sound, you can test the decibels level by taking it to your HIS. Alternatively, you could swap it for a soundless toy. It may not be advisable to disconnect the bike horn as it's there for a reason. Instead, you could change the horn to a lower type or train your child how to use it. 

Shooting and fireworks

Working in the military poses a risk to your hearing because firing a gun at close range or experiencing the detonation of an explosive will expose your ear to an immediate 160 decibels of noise. This is enough to seriously damage your hearing in the short and long term. However, military people are aware of the danger. 

Individuals who shoot or use fireworks often don't think about the harm they might be causing to their ears and hearing. Often the 160-decibel spike happens so unexpectedly that the damage is already done before they are even aware of the danger. Don't let this happen. 

Contact audiology today to find out more about affordable hearing. The numbers are 803-749-6017 or 803-531-6403 for Orangeburg and Santee.