One in six people have a hearing health issue

Keeping your hearing healthy is largely about knowing how much loud sound you’re exposed to. A ‘noise diet’ can protect your hearing from future problems.

Most cases of deafness are caused by damage to the tiny hair cells in the inner ear. This damage can be the result of too much noise, and it’s permanent. Noise-related hearing loss is usually irreversible.

The national consumer organisation Deafness Forum of Australia points out that damage to hearing due to noise exposure is cumulative.

“The louder the sound, the less time you can safely listen to it. Just because a sound isn’t annoying doesn’t make it safe,” said its chair David Brady.

Noisy occupational environments are a leading cause of hearing loss.

You can lose some hearing after being exposed to loud noise for too long. Or hearing can be damaged after a short burst of explosive noise.

How loud is too loud?

According to the Deafness Forum, noise levels above 105 decibels can damage your hearing if endured for more than 15 minutes each week.  But it also warns that lower levels, such as between 85 and 90 decibels, can cause permanent damage if you’re exposed to them for hours every day.

The higher the number, the louder the noise. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) says noise levels above 105 dB can damage your hearing if endured for more than 15 minutes each week. But lower levels, such as between 85 and 90 dB, can also cause permanent damage if you’re exposed to them for hours every day. Table 1 provides a guide to some typical noise levels measured in decibels, or dB.

Type of noise	Typical noise level decibels (dB)
Normal conversation	60–65
Heavy traffic	85
Forklift truck	90
Hand drill	98
Motorbikes	100
Nightclub	110
Chainsaw	115–120

Table 1: Some typical noise levels measured in decibels, or dB.

Hearing loss is a paradox. It is so prevalent in the community, and yet has a generally low level of awareness and understanding.

“If you work or frequently spend time in a noisy place or listen to loud music a lot, you could be losing your hearing without even realising it,” Brady said.

Barriers to effective noise control

The gradual, hidden and often uncertain course of hearing loss tends to reduce its priority as a work health and safety issue. The most effective interventions are to:

• provide workforce education about the dangers of exposure to loud noise and the risk it poses to hearing health;
• review and communicate a company’s available noise control and hearing loss prevention options;
• be aware of and explain the importance of complying with noise control regulations, enforced by work health and safety regulatory authorities.

A national public campaign called Break The Sound Barrier educates the community on protecting its hearing. It calls on Australian governments to make hearing health and wellbeing a national priority. For further details, visit: www.breakthesoundbarrier.org.au.

Top Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/HighwayStarz