Are You Losing Your Hearing?

  • Do other people seem to mumble or not speak up, rather than speak clearly to you?

  • Do others often have to repeat themselves before you understand what they are saying?

  • Do you have difficulty understanding what is being said in noisy places, such as bars or restaurants, where other people manage to have conversations?

  • When you are talking to a group of people, is it hard to keep up with the conversation?

  • Do other people think your television is too loud, but you can't hear it properly if it is turned down?

  • Do you often have difficulty hearing on the telephone?

  • Do others sometimes tell you that you don’t hear well?

  • Do you find it tiring to listen to conversations because you have to concentrate hard?

If you answered yes to any of these questions you could be losing your hearing.

The next step is for you to have a hearing test.

Common activities showing decibel levels

and typical physical responses at that noise level

Activity Approx dB Level Typical Response

Threshold of hearing                                 0       Not audible
Threshold of sound perception                10       Just audible
Leaves rustling; very soft music               30      Quiet                 
Living / dining / bedroom                           30       Quiet
Light traffic; noisy office; conversation    60       Speech interference
Loud conversation; roadside traffic         70       Disruptive
Restaurant; vacuum                                70       Disruptive
Average factory                                       85       Annoying


       Permanent damage of auditory nerves usually commences at about 90 dB

Busy city street; motorcycle; lawn mower; screaming child                    90      Can damage hearing after 8 hrs exposure per day    Jet take off; jackhammer; diesel truck    100      Can damage hearing after 2 hrs exposure per day

Noisy pigs; inboard motor; night club     110      Maximum vocal effort; 30 min exposure per day 

Amplified rock music (varies)                  110-130     30 - 3.75 minutes exposure per day

 

          Heavy destruction of auditory nerves and sharp pain are not uncommon


Car horn; propeller aircraft                    120       7.5 minutes exposure
Military jet; shotgun; hydraulic press       130      3.75 min. exposure per day

Gun shot; jet engine taking off                140      Danger level
Rocket launching                                   180      Danger


     At 150+ dB:  severe pain, immediate massive destruction of Auditory Nerves,

and persistent ringing of the ears lasting for days is usually the result. 

 

At this level of sound it won't take much

and you won't have to worry about your hearing...

you won't have any!

What can be done?

 The simplest solution is to use good hearing protection

before suffering a hearing loss.