Protect Your Hearing: How to Recognize Harmful Noise Levels

Dear Atlas,

How do I know if I am exposing myself to noise that is damaging my hearing?

If you’ve ever left a loud concert with ringing ears or felt the need to turn up the volume on your tv just to hear clearly (experiencing temporary hearing loss), your ears may be telling you something important: your noise exposure could be harmful.

Damage from loud sounds builds gradually and often goes unnoticed until hearing loss has progressed. The tiny hair cells (stereocilia) in your inner ear, responsible for converting sound into signals your brain can understand, and the auditory nerve that carries these signals to the brain, can get damaged by loud sounds. Over time, repeated exposure to high noise levels can permanently damage these hair cells and disrupt the function of the auditory nerve.

So, how loud is too loud? According to the CDC’s NIOSH guidelines, sound exposure above 85 decibels (dB) over an eight-hour day can increase your risk of hearing loss. Everyday items like lawnmowers, power tools, motorcycles, and even loud music can exceed this limit.

If you find yourself constantly raising the volume on your devices because of the background sound or experiencing discomfort in noisy environments, it’s time to act. Use ear protection, take listening breaks, and check your personal noise profile using tools like the ATLAS Safe Listen eTool. Staying informed and proactive is the best way to protect your hearing for life.

Warmly,