How to Protect Your Hearing

Our modern world is a noisy place. Even those of us that don't regularly listen to our iPods at high volume or attend loud rock concerts are subjected to a lot of loud, amplified sound. If you do enjoy listening to music, either live or using a personal music player like an iPod, there are steps you should take to protect your hearing. Let the band play on!

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Ear plugs
• Common sense

1. A good supply of ear plugs is the first step toward safe hearing Use ear plugs if you regularly attend rock concerts or other presentations with heavily amplified sound. Simple foam plugs are available at most drugstores. Keep a supply handy.
2. A typical pair of musician's earplugs Get "musician's ear plugs" made for you if you don't like the way the cheap foam plugs alter the sound. These are special plugs molded to your ear, designed for hearing protection with a minimal alteration of sound quality. Consult your local audiologist.
3. Groove at a sensible level when listening to your music player Use a sensible volume when listening to music with your personal music player. It is very easy to damage your hearing with prolonged exposure to high volume using the ear buds sold with most music players.
   Common sense rules.
4. If you are regularly exposed to excessive noise or loud music, have your hearing checked once a year.
5. Make it a habit to use some form of hearing protection when exposed to loud noise. Even if it's just covering your ears while the fire truck screams by!

Tips & Warnings

• At most big-venue rock concerts, the speakers are "flown". If there are stacks of speakers on or near the stage, don't stand near them. It isn't the best place to hear a good mix of the sound anyway, and it will likely damage your hearing if you do it too often - or maybe just once. Why take that chance?
• It only takes one excessive exposure to a high "SPL" (sound pressure level) to cause damage. You may not notice it at first, but over time small amounts of deterioration will add up.
• "Temporary threshold shift" is your natural reaction to loud noise. After exposure, quieter sounds like normal conversation may be harder to hear. After an hour or so, your hearing threshold should return to normal.
• If you start experience chronic ringing in your ears, consult a doctor or audiologist immediately.
• A rock concert can average well over 100dB. This is very loud.
• And it isn't just rock music that gets loud, as anyone who's listened to a performance of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture can attest!
• If you enjoy music, conversation, and just hearing the sounds of the world, take hearing protection seriously!