The world is noisy and getting noisier. Here’s how common loud noise at work and home is, and how you can protect your hearing!

It’s a noisy world. Probably noisier now than at almost any time in human history. But noise has its place, for better or worse, in life and in hearing loss.

From an evolutionary standpoint, noise has played an important part in the survival of the fittest. After all, it’s noise that told our ancestors a bear was growling in the nearby woods or a pack of hungry wolves was headed their way, triggering the appropriate fight or flight response.

As civilization evolved, the world became noisier. In fact, Julius Caesar drafted the first ordinance that tried to reduce noise in 44 B.C. The ordinance was supposed to limit the times noisy wagons and carts could travel streets. Centuries later, as the industrial revolution unfolded, work and life became louder still, with regulations put in place to protect workers and their hearing.

But noise does more than potentially damage your hearing. It can add to stress and problems sleeping. Research has shown that loud sounds can hurt the heart and blood vessels, lead to heart failure, heart attacks and strokes, be related to diabetes and make it hard to think and learn.

The World Health Organization calculated that in 2018 in the European Union, 1.6 million years of healthy life were lost because of traffic noise. To counter these negative effects, they recommended traffic noise be limited to below a 24-hour average of 53 dB during the day, evening and night. By comparison, a normal conversation registers at 60 to 70 dB.

All that said, your hearing is the most obvious sense at risk from loud sounds, and you need to be able to hear well so that you can distinguish between a sound that signals danger, like a smoke detector, and one that you simply want to enjoy, like your favorite music.

That’s why detecting, measuring and protecting yourself from loud noise is important.

First, you need to know if you work and/or live in a noisy environment. Work noise may seem obvious, especially if you work in a warehouse or manufacturing facility. In some cases, this is regulated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). But even office noise can lead to a stress-filled day—phones ringing and pinging, people chatting, printers and copiers chugging away can all be louder than you might think.

Second, if you don’t know how loud your work or home is, modern technology has made it pretty easy to measure it. Simply download a decibel meter app to your smartphone. These apps can be used to tell you everything from how loud your dishwasher is, to the general din of office sound.

Apple also collected data from its watches in the Apple Hearing Study, which began in January 2020 and ran through late April of 2020. Thanks to COVID and 6,000 volunteers, it showed that a quieter world is possible. In fact, many people noticed how much quieter life became during the early days of the pandemic due to lockdowns with fewer vehicles on the road.

Third, if it turns out your work or home is noisy, and it’s probably noisier than you think, take precautions to prevent noise exposure and potential damage to your hearing. Some recommendations from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association include:

• Place earplugs into the ear canal so that they totally block the canal. Earplugs come in different shapes and sizes, and can also be custom made by taking an impression of the ear. Earplugs can reduce noise by 15 to 30 decibels (dB) depending on how they are made and fit.
• Use earmuffs that fit completely over both ears. They must fit tightly so that sound is blocked from entering the ears. Like earplugs, earmuffs can reduce noise 15 to 30 dB depending on how they are made and fit.
• Use earplugs and earmuffs together to achieve even greater sound reduction. Use of earplugs and earmuffs is recommended when noise exposure is particularly high.
• Consider custom earplugs and musicians’ plugs if you are frequently exposed to loud noises. If you are an avid hunter or a musician, be sure to talk with your audiologist about these hearing protection devices.
• Do not listen to loud sounds for too long. If you don’t have hearing protection, move away from the loud sound and give your ears a break.
• Lower the loudness of the sound if possible. Keep personal listening devices, such as MP3 players or iPods, set to no more than half volume. Don’t be afraid to ask others to turn down the sounds from speakers.
• Be a good consumer. Look for noise ratings on appliances, sporting equipment, power tools, and hair dryers. Purchase quieter products. This is especially important when purchasing toys for children.

Concerned your hearing already may have been damaged by noise? Schedule an appointment with a doctoral-level audiologist.