Hearing Health

9 Things to Know About Hearing Loss From Noise

It’s completely preventable with a few simple precautions.

1. Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a growing public health threat that most people don’t know about. A study in the journal Pediatrics cited by the World

Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says 1 of every 5 U.S. teens, ages 12–19, has features of their hearing tests suggestive of NIHL in one or both ears. 2. The WHO terms this an impending global health crisis, with 1.1 billion young people at risk from damaging sound, largely from personal audio systems turned up too loud. 3. You can protect yourself from hearing loss by taking steps. Turn down the volume on personal listening devices to 50 percent of the maximum volume. Rest your ears by taking a listening break from loud music every hour. Get into the habit of always carrying earplugs and using them in noisy places such as sports stadiums or around lawn equipment. 4. Untreated hearing loss has serious health consequences: It can harm the heart and brain, lead to mental health problems like depression, cause sleeping problems, and even lead to cognitive drain and dementia. Hearing loss that is not addressed can affect school and job performance and income. 5. Hearing loss can result from a one-time exposure to loud sound—up close at a concert, or from loud noise over prolonged periods. Be aware of the noise level around you and protect yourself by using earplugs or moving away from the noise, urges the National

Institute on Deafness and Other Communication

Disorders (NIDCD). 6. Damage to hearing is cumulative, says the NIDCD.

The louder the noise and the longer the exposure, the greater the risk of permanent damage. If you have a hearing loss already, it’s even more important to protect your hearing from further damage. 7. Over-the-ear or noise-canceling headphones that block out the sound around you are a better choice than in-ear earphones or earbuds. Without needing to complete with outside noise, you’re less likely to turn up the volume to unsafe levels—just make sure you remain aware of your surroundings. 8. The CDC considers sound at 70 decibels and below to be safe. Some headphones top out at 100 decibels or more, which can permanently damage hearing in minutes. People are routinely exposed to loud sounds—in restaurants and bars, on subway platforms, at the gym, even while using a coffee grinder. 9. Hearing loss is usually subtle, occurring gradually, and many people may not be aware they are affected.

Often those close to us spot the problem first, so it’s a good idea to check your hearing from time to time.

Online hearing tests (such as the WHO’s hearWHO app) are quick, easy, and can alert you to a potential issue that you should raise during an appointment with a hearing health professional.

For more, see hhf.org/keeplistening. For references, see hhf.org/fall2021-references.