I am not an audiologist, but I am an acoustician so have an understanding and awareness of noise induced hearing loss. The purpose of a noise at work assessment is to prevent excessive noise in the workplace and protect the hearing of those exposed to unavoidable high levels of noise.
But what about when we are not at work, are we inadvertently damaging our hearing without realising?
I once believed wearing ear buds was more likely to damage hearing than headphones due to the position of the device in the ear canal, however this is not the case, it is all about the volume and listening time, the same principle for noise at work.
An article in the New York Times from 16 August 2022 “Are ear buds damaging my hearing” explains it is not the type of device you use; it is how loud you have it playing and the duration of listening.
Growing up I used a Walkman and was told if anyone else can hear my music it is too loud, I am not sure if this was based on science, but it made me aware. Technology has come a long way with safety prompts on phones and noise cancelling features but has the awareness and understanding of noise induced hearing loss message been given the coverage it deserves. We can pretty much listen to music and take calls anywhere which is very convenient, but this can come at a cost.
My particular concern is listening to music in noisy environments such as on public transport, in busy locations, using a hair drier etc. the louder our environment the more we turn up the volume unaware we could be irreversibly damaging our hearing.
www.nytimes.com/2022/08/16/well/live/headphones-hearing-loss.html
The RNID’s Audiology Manager, Franki Oliver said: “It’s really concerning that so many music lovers are unaware of the life-changing damage that loud music can have on your hearing. Whether you are at a live event, or listening to music through headphones, we all need to take steps to protect our hearing to ensure we can continue enjoying music in future.” (Over half of music lovers have experienced tinnitus or temporary hearing loss Story by Will Simpson) Advice from the same article says “If you’re a headphone addict, reduce the volume by 50% and avoid turning the sound up above background noise. Follow the safety prompts on your phone. They’re there for a reason so if you receive an alert take the hint. And, as with live events, having a break every so often is recommended.”
A greater awareness is needed outside the work place of everyday noise that can negatively impact our hearing, causing irreversible damage.