Are you bombarded by noise every day? Sounds from televisions, lawn mowers, motorcycles, and sirens can invade your peace and quiet. Worse, these noises also can damage your hearing.

Noise-induced hearing loss can be temporary or permanent. Hearing loss can happen immediately after an intense brief noise, such as an explosion. Or it can occur slowly over years of continuous exposure to loud noise, such as a factory worker exposed to daily sounds of machinery.

How to Tell "Good" from "Bad" Noise
The loudness of sound is measured in decibels (dB). At higher decibel levels, it takes less time for loss of hearing to occur. The following chart highlights everyday noises and their impact on hearing loss.

Daily exposure to noises at 85 dB can cause gradual hearing loss.

Limit exposure to less than 15 minutes for sounds from 90 to 100 dB.

Unprotected exposure to noise higher than
100 dB for more than one minute can result
in permanent hearing loss.

Inner ear pain and damage can occur with sounds 125 dB and above.

Safeguard Your Hearing
If you are exposed to loud noises or continuous noise at potentially harmful levels, you should protect your hearing.

Check with your doctor to determine which type of protection—earmuffs or earplugs—is better for the kind of noise exposure you experience. And be sure to have your hearing tested every year if you are regularly exposed to potentially harmful noises.

Tips to Protect Your Hearing
Here are ways to shield your ears from potentially loud noises:

• Keep televisions, stereos, and headphones at a low volume.
• Wear ear protection when using loud machinery.

Baptist Rehab Center
Baptist Rehab Center provides a full range of speech, occupational and physical therapy services to clients with neurological, orthopaedic, developmental or traumatic disorders. For more information, call the speech language pathologists at Baptist Rehab Center, 270-534-1200.

Earmuffs and earplugs—which are available at drugstores or hardware stores—can cut noise volume by 20 to 40 dB if worn correctly. Cotton balls or tissue shouldn't be used as hearing protection. These only reduce loudness by about 7 dB.