Preventing hearing damage is how you do it!

Hearing damage, that’s the farthest thing from your mind, isn’t it? It happens to others, but not to you, of course. If you only knew how many people think like that and then end up in the chair with us…. We like that very much and of course we are happy to help you, but wouldn’t it be wiser if you just prevented it? Therefore, in this article we will tell you all about common situations that cause hearing damage and what you can do about it with hearing protection.

What is hearing damage anyway?

We speak of hearing damage when the cilia in the ear have become damaged. These cilia cannot repair themselves, so the damage done is irreversible. The consequences are that you hear less well, become hypersensitive to sound or develop a condition such as Tinnitus. This is why it is so important to be aware of the situations in which this can occur and the ways to prevent it.

How do you get hearing damage?

Hearing damage occurs when you are exposed to a certain volume of sound for a certain amount of time. The louder the sound, the sooner you sustain damage. In fact, above 100 dB, this can happen right away!

Hearing protection and SNR

The easiest way to prevent hearing damage is to wear the proper hearing protection in situations that call for it, basically always when the noise level is above 80 dB but especially when it is above 90 dB. Hearing protectors have an SNR value, which stands for Single Number Rating, which indicates how much the sound is attenuated. An SNR value of 25 decibels means that when wearing these hearing protectors, you are left with 75 dB of ambient noise at 100 dB.

Common situations

At work

In certain cases, you can probably easily imagine this. A construction worker, a bartender in a club…. sounds logical right? But even in the office, unfortunately, you are not completely safe. Especially in open-plan offices, people are exposed to a lot of ambient noise for a long time, and they often don’t even realize it. There are different types of hearing protection available for various professions. From 80 dB of ambient noise the employer is obliged to make them available, and from 83 dB the employee is also obliged to wear them. Below that, it remains sensible and is also nice and quiet!

Tip: Install a decibel-meter app on your phone. Although these are not 100% accurate they give a good indication.

Concerts, festivals, clubs and events

Unfortunately, it’s true: this is where people most often suffer hearing damage. Not surprisingly, since an average concert easily generates 110 dB and thus leads to direct damage. We also see a sharp increase after events such as King’s Day and Carnival, as well as among people who have been out for a night on the town. Often hearing protection in these situations, especially among young people, is seen as annoying and unnecessary. It would detract from the experience. But is it worth it to then be bothered by it for the rest of your life? We don’t think so. Fortunately, there are excellent earplugs that you can still enjoy to the fullest.

Cars and motorcycles

A nice ride on the motorcycle, cruising for a while in the convertible, for some people it is the ultimate pleasure. Here too, however, hearing damage is lurking, and it is not even in the sound of the roaring engine but in the wind noise. At 100 kilometers per hour, this can reach 94 dB, a noise level that is harmful after only 15 minutes. There are special earplugs for drivers and passengers to prevent this.

Chores and gardening

Drilling a hole in the wall to hang a shelf, mowing the lawn or trimming a tree with a chainsaw, we do a lot of DIY and gardening. Yet we don’t (always) think about our ears in these situations either. A lawnmower or chainsaw produces around 105 dB of noise, and an average rotary hammer up to 110 dB. So they too can cause direct hearing damage, and with the right earplugs this too can be easily prevented.

Fireworks

New Year’s Eve is a fun celebration every year, but did you know that over 1,600 people suffer permanent hearing damage from fireworks? And those are even just the cases we know for sure. After all, in the Netherlands, legal fireworks can produce as much as 120 dB, measured at 8 meters away. Up close, this can rise to as much as 135 dB! Hearing damage is not a very nice way to start the year, is it? So protect your ears (and those of your children) well!

Sporting events

An afternoon at the stadium or watching the exploits of Max Verstappen and Nyck de Vries in Formula 1 is of course great. But make no mistake, in a stadium the sound averages about 90 dB and the world record state is even 131.76 dB! In turn, motorcycle and car races easily reach 130 dB, and in both cases you are exposed to this for about 2 hours. All the more reason to protect your ears, and with the right earplugs you won’t have to miss a thing!

More tips to prevent hearing damage

Beyond wearing hearing protection, we have a few more tips to prevent hearing damage:

1. Do not stand too close to the sound source (such as boxes or fireworks);
2. Limit or interrupt exposure, give your ears a 15-minute break after every hour;
3. Don’t turn up the volume of your music or television too loud;
4. Listen to your body; even a temporary squeak is a signal of hearing damage;
5. As a pregnant woman, do not go to concerts or festivals; this can be harmful to the child;

Totally beautiful: custom hearing protection

Don’t want universal hearing protection? Then Horend Goed is also the right place for you. We are experts in custom-made hearing protection. The otoplastics (a fancy name for them) are molded especially to your ears and the filters are interchangeable per situation, up to 33 dB SNR. For enthusiasts, we can also personalize them with glitter and pictures!