Following these H.E.A.R. strategies will help prevent hearing damage due to loud noise exposure:
Hold Yourself Accountable: It’s all about education and action. Like most preventative health measures, you are in the best position to ensure that you practice behaviors that support healthy hearing for yourself and your family.
Evaluate Your Surroundings: If you are in an environment so loud that you can’t understand what someone 3 fee away is saying, the noise volume could be harmful to your hearing. Long-term exposure to sound levels at 85 dB or short exposures to more intense sound levels can damage your inner ears.
Avoid the Noise: The easiest way to help avoid noise-induced hearing loss is to steer clear of loud noises! Turn down loud music. When possible, walk away from loud noise sources to help diffuse the overall sound intensity.
Remember Hearing Protection: If you can’t avoid excessive noise, at least try to muffle it! Properly fit earplugs decrease the intensity of the sound traveling to your ear drums. Protective earplugs or muffs should be worn at all times while working near power tools, firearms, heavy machinery, etc.
Decibel Level Activity/Event
30 dB………………………Whisper, quiet library
50-65 dB………………….Normal Conversation
85 dB……………………….Movie in a movie theater
95 dB……………………….Lawnmower, shop tools, truck traffic
100 dB……………………..Cement mixer, snowmobile
110 dB………………………Video arcade, chainsaw, jackhammer
115 dB……………………….Sandblasting, loud concert, auto horn
140 dB………………………Gun muzzle blast, jet engine