Exposure to damaging levels of noise is one of the leading causes of hearing loss and tinnitus is the world today.
As noise exposure is associated with tinnitus, it is crucial to identify all the noise hazards in our environments because sometimes we may not be aware of how loud our environments can be. The large construction site you walk past on your way to work every morning or even the lawnmower you use regularly can damage your hearing.
As the old adage goes, sometimes what we love can harm us. We live in a world where loud music can be a fun activity, which is why we go to loud parties, nightclubs, concerts and listen to music using AirPods at full volume. Remember the time you walked away from a concert, left with ringing in your ears? Often this tinnitus resolves by itself after a day or so. However, repeated exposure over time can lead to permanent damage to the auditory system.
Loud noise damages the small hair cells in the cochlea, leading to hearing loss and tinnitus. Unfortunately, this type of damage isn’t reversible.
So how do we protect our ears? First, be aware of the sounds around us. Think about when we may expose ourselves to loud sounds. You can also use your phone as a sound meter app to estimate how loud the sounds are in your environment. Second, turn the volume down or use hearing protection like earmuffs, earplugs, noise-cancelling headphones. If you don’t have hearing protection nearby, walk away from the sound source. Other ways of protecting our ears include setting up time limits for listening to loud music, taking a break from loud music so our ears can rest.
Here is a guide on time limits for using earbuds:
Are you interested in calculating your noise risk? You can take this survey conducted by the National Acoustic Laboratories [here](https://knowyournoise.nal.gov.au "Know Your Noise")
For more details on how to protect your hearing, download Tinnibot today and have a chat with Tinnibot!
