Hearing Health
Hearing health
Hearing damage is permanent. Prevention is possible.
Loud sound damages the tiny hair cells of the inner ear. They don't grow back. Damage can happen in seconds at a concert or a stadium, and it builds up quietly from everyday noise like traffic, parties and earbuds. It often starts young and adds up over a lifetime. Besides hearing loss, noise can cause tinnitus, a ringing in the ears that can be hard to live with.
The good news: noise-induced hearing loss is almost entirely preventable. Think of hearing protection like sunscreen. You wear it before the damage, not after.
How common is it?
- About 1 in 4 U.S. adults aged 20 to 69 show signs of noise-related hearing damage on a hearing test (CDC).
- More than 50 million Americans have hearing loss caused by noise.
- The World Health Organization expects 1 in 4 people worldwide to have some hearing loss by 2050.
- Roughly a quarter of hearing loss in U.S. adults is linked to noise at work.
How loud is too loud?
Risk depends on two things: how loud and how long. NIOSH recommends no more than an average of 85 dB over an 8-hour day. Every 3 dB above that halves the safe time.
| Sound level | Example | Roughly safe for |
|---|---|---|
| 60 dB | Normal conversation | No limit |
| 80 dB | Busy city traffic | No daily limit for most people |
| 85 dB | Heavy traffic, food blender | 8 hours |
| 94 dB | Motorcycle, subway platform | 1 hour |
| 100 dB | Club, loud gym class, earbuds at max | 15 minutes |
| 110 dB | Live concert | About 1.5 minutes |
| 120–142 dB | Siren up close, NFL stadium | Damage in seconds |
Times follow the NIOSH 85 dB / 3 dB exchange-rate guideline (NIOSH Publication 98-126). Stadium readings from measured college and NFL games.
Signs your ears have had too much
- Ringing, buzzing or a "full" feeling after a loud event
- Voices sound muffled, or you need to turn the TV up more than you used to
- Trouble following conversation in a noisy room
These can fade after a day or two, but repeated exposure makes the damage permanent. See a doctor if you have sudden hearing loss, ear pain, or ringing that doesn't go away.
Types of hearing loss
- Conductive: sound doesn't reach the inner ear properly, for example because of wax, fluid or an eardrum problem.
- Sensorineural: sound reaches the inner ear but isn't sensed normally. Noise damage is this type.
- Mixed: a combination of both.
- Central: the brain has trouble processing signals from the hearing nerve.
Kinda chic to protect your hearing
Good protection lowers the volume without cutting you off from the moment. Find your pair.
This page is general information, not medical advice. Hearing protection lowers the risk of hearing damage but cannot guarantee against it.