Recreational Noise Exposure - World Hearing Day

3/2/23 in Blog Posts

World Hearing Day falls on March 3^rd every year to help bring awareness on how to prevent hearing loss and deafness. It helps us to promote hearing care to everyone who is constantly exposed to loud noises.

From the moment you are born to adulthood, communication and good hearing are what connects us to our communities and the world. According to the World Health Organization, more than one billion people who are aged 12-35 years old are at high risk of hearing loss. This can be due to recreational noise exposure, such as going to the gym, video arcades, concerts, movie theatres, riding motorcycles, and even wearing headphones. These common causes of hearing loss stated previously can be prevented.

Young adults do not realize that certain everyday life activities can do more harm than good. Going to the gym can exceed 110dBA in noise level. If you are taking an exercise class where the instructor has the music volume on high, you can ask the instructor to lower the volume to prevent noise exposure.

If you are wearing headphones everyday to listen to music, TV shows, or podcasts, make sure you have the volume at a safe listening level.  When you are wearing headphones and cannot hear people talking or if they have to shout at you to be heard 3 feet away, the volume is too loud. (https://noiseawareness.org/info-center/recreational-noise-facts/) .

According to CDC, there are a few ways to protect your hearing from potentially becoming worse. Turning the volume down while watching television or listening to music is one of the ways to protect your hearing. Bringing and using hearing protection, such as foam or specially made earplugs/ earmuffs, to minimize loud exposure if you are unable to move away from loud sounds. At public events, such as concerts, make sure you are not near the loudspeakers. If you are exposed to loud noise and cannot get away from it, such as your jobs, make sure you are taking breaks from it. (https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hearing_loss/how_do_i_prevent_hearing_loss.html)

Whether you're exposed to recreational noise exposure or noise exposure related to daily life activities, it is crucial to understand the impact of noise and our hearing health. Small steps can make a huge impact on our daily listening lives and to prevent future damage to our hearing health. If you are concerned about your hearing, please seek an ENT and an audiologist.

“To hear for life, listen with care.” (https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/features/world-hearing-day/index.html)

 

Citations:

“World Hearing Day | CDC.” Www.cdc.gov, 28 Feb. 2022, www.cdc.gov/nceh/features/world-hearing-day/index.html. Accessed 24 Feb. 2023.

“Recreational Noise Facts - Noise Awareness Day.” Noiseawareness.org, noiseawareness.org/info-center/recreational-noise-facts/.

“How Do I Prevent Hearing Loss from Loud Noise?” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019, www.cdc.gov/nceh/hearing_loss/how_do_i_prevent_hearing_loss.html

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