The festive part of the season comes from spending quality time with family, friends and loved ones. As your social calendar fills up with holiday parties and New Year’s Eve parties, it’s time to consider something often overlooked at events like this: the noise.
How Loud Is Too Loud?
Music, parades and countdowns on TV, conversations flying back and forth and clattering silverware are all part of a great holiday party. You may not realize, however, that some noise levels can reach dangerous volumes. Exposure to loud noise is the second-most common cause of hearing loss (right behind aging).
Noise-induced hearing loss occurs when a loud, forceful sound wave thunders through your ear and flattens the delicate hair-like sensory cells in your inner ear that are responsible for transmitting sound information to the brain. These cells do not regenerate when damaged. Some sound waves are forceful enough to break them on impact, while others do damage by thrumming through constantly for long periods of time.
Sounds that are higher in decibels (i.e., are louder) will have more force. Sounds at 120 decibels are strong enough to cause immediate hearing damage, and sounds starting at 85 decibels will do their damage over time.
Hearing Protection Options
If you’re ever going to be in a setting with loud volumes for an extended period of time, you should take steps to protect your hearing. Consider using earplugs; they’re discreet and effective. Inexpensive earplugs are widely available at pharmacies and general stores, and there are also custom earplugs available that are custom-made to fit your ears.
We recommend getting a sound-measuring app on your phone. There are plenty of free sound-measuring apps out there. They use the phone’s microphone to quantify how loud your environment is, and will report back how many decibels the noise has reached. Use this to stay informed and keep your hearing safe.
Protect the Kids’ Hearing, Too
Hearing loss can happen at any age. In fact, noise-induced hearing loss rates are on the rise in children under the age of 12. Approximately 12% of kids ages 6–19 are affected by noise-induced hearing loss. If your holiday party is kid-friendly, be sure to consider the potential impact of loud noise on your little ones.
Younger kids will do better with over-ear earmuffs, which resemble headphones. Little ones don’t usually like the feeling of something in their ear, but earmuffs are padded and comfortable. Older kids may use earplugs.
Additionally, encourage them to find quieter games to play away from some of the louder things at the party. For example, if you notice them playing near a speaker blaring loud noise, suggest that they go play in another room where there isn’t a loud speaker.
If you need more information about noise-induced hearing loss or custom hearing protection, call Heuser Hearing Institute today. We’d be happy to schedule you an appointment and walk you through some options.