Summer, Loud Noises and Hearing Loss

The more you listen to noise or loud sounds, the more likely you are to damage your hearing. There is a connection between excessive noise and hearing loss. And summertime has more than its fair share of loud noises.  To be on the safe side you shouldn’t exposure your ears to sounds in excess of 80 decibels (dB).  If you are exposed to sounds in excess of 80 dB, limit the amount of time you are exposed to the sound.  Better yet wear hearing protection when you know you’ll be in a noisy listening environment.

Below are a list of the sounds of summer that exceed 80dB,

• Window Air Conditioner 80 – 85dB
• Jackhammer 95dB
• ATV/Motorcycle 100dB
• Lawnmower 100dB
• Rock Concert 115dB
• Sporting Event 115dB
• Stock Car Races 130dB
• Fireworks at 3 feet 150dB

The amount of time a noise will take to cause hearing loss depends on a number of factors, most notably the amount of exposure time by decibel level.    The maximum exposure time for unprotected ears per day is 8 hours at 85dBSPL (sound pressure level).  For each 3 dB increase in volume, the maximum exposure time is cut in half.

• 95 dB 4 hours
• 100 dB 2 hours
• 110 dB 30 min
• 120 dB 7.5 min

Plan ahead, if you know you’ll be attending an event or using a device that has the ability to damage your hearing bring along hearing protection.  We can point you in the right direction regarding hearing protection.  If you are unexpectedly exposed to excessive amounts of noise, distance is your friend.  The farther you distance yourself from the source of the noise the less likely you are to exceed a level that’s unsafe for your ears.

Enjoy the sounds of summer. Just don’t let the sounds of summer ruin your hearing.