How Loud is Too Loud?

How loud does a sound have to be before it can damage your hearing?

Our world is a noisy place. There are loud sounds all around us and some can certainly be loud enough to damage our hearing. The loudness of sound is measured in decibels (or dB). Sounds in the 0-10 dB range are the softest sounds the human ear can hear. Normal conversation averages about 60 dB. When sound reaches 85 dB or louder, it can cause permanent damage to your hearing. The amount of time you are exposed to a sound also makes a difference. For example, a sound at 85 dB may take as long at 8 hours to cause permanent damage, while a sound at 100 dB can start damaging hair cells after only 30 minutes of listening. When sounds get very loud, 115 dB or more, instant damage to hearing is possible.

Some common household tools and recreational activities can easily exceed the safe levels. For example, a lawnmower can average 85-90 dB, a chainsaw or leaf blower can hit 100-110 dB. Even a motorcycle could be up around 105 dB. Very loud sounds like jet planes, fireworks and gunshots can be well over 115 dB and be instantly damaging to your hearing. Hearing protection should be worn whenever you are near any of these noise sources. Foam earplugs, noise reducing earmuffs, or even custom earplugs are a great solutions to preventing noise induced hearing loss.

A recent public health concern is the loudness of personal headphones for music listening. Many of these devices have the ability to be as loud at 105 dB which is well into the potentially damaging range. Because these devices have become so small and convenient, many people are listening for hours at a time and putting their hearing at risk. If you, or your children or grandchildren, are listening to loud music, be aware that you may be potentially damaging your hearing. There are some signs that adolescent hearing loss is on the rise. Some great public health campaigns exist to educate on the issue. Visit www.dangerousdecibels.org or www.turnittotheleft.com for some great information.

It has been suggested that some people may be more susceptible to noise induced hearing loss due to personal health factors, genetic factors, or previous hearing health concerns. Recent studies have also reported higher rates of hearing loss in smokers and adults with diabetes.

At this time, we are not able to accurately predict who may at the greatest risk for hearing loss due to noise exposure. Living a healthy lifestyle and protecting your ears from loud sounds will serve you well to prevent noise induced hearing loss.