Protect your hearing
Wednesday 13 December 2006
Ever got back from a night out and felt that ringing in your ears? Do you spend most of the day with your MP3 player glued to your ear?
New web site from the RNID, Don't Lose The Music, aims to make us all aware of how we can protect our precious hearing. Take a look at some of our tips for keeping it safe and sound.
Out on the town
A great night out with friends often involves music. You might be used to getting back home with a ringing in your ears, but there are ways you can reduce the effect.
Did you know that decibel levels in nightclubs can reach 110 decibels? That's like ten feet away from a pneumatic drill.
Going to a club?
- Use chill out areas to give your ears a rest.
- Avoid dancing or standing beside loud speakers.
- Wear earplugs designed for clubs if you go clubbing regularly.
Going to a gig or festival?
- Stand away from the loud speakers.
- Take regular breaks from the music to give your ears a rest.
- If you want to watch the main act at the front of the stage, watch the support from further back.
- If you regularly go to gigs or festivals, wear specially designed earplugs.
Find out more about ear plugs on Don't Lose the Music.
Music on the move
Of course it's not only clubs and gigs where you need to watch out for your hearing: if you're one of those people who can't leave the house without their MP3 player or personal stereo, you need to take care too.
If you have ringing in your ears or a dulled sense of hearing after listening to music on headphones, it's a warning that the music was loud enough to damage your hearing.
How you can protect your hearing
- Take regular breaks from your headphones to give your ears a rest.
- Turn down the volume a notch: even a small reduction in volume can make a big difference to the risk of damage to your hearing.
- Avoid using the volume to drown out background noise, for example the sound of the train or traffic (find out about additions to in-ear headphones that help with this problem).
- If your MP3 player has a ‘smart volume’ feature, use it so you have control of the volume you are listening at
Is there a safe volume to listen to my player?
There is no simple answer to this question as it depends on the make and model of music player, the type of headphones you are using and on your susceptibility to hearing damage.
As a rule of thumb, if the music is uncomfortable for you to listen to then it's too loud, or if you can't hear external sounds when you've got your headphones on, again, it's probably too loud.
Noise damage is caused by two factors: the volume you listen at and how long you listen for. When you vary either of those factors, the length of time you can 'safely' listen for alters too. The higher the volume the shorter time you should listen for.
If you're worried that you have damaged your hearing or have sustained ringing in your ears or a dulled hearing, make an appointment to see your doctor.
