Why Everyday Noise Exposure Matters, Explained Simply

Noise-induced hearing loss is permanent but preventable, and it builds up from repeated exposure as well as single very loud events.

Key takeaways

• Unlikely to damage hearing: sounds at or below 70 dBA, even over long periods
• Can cause hearing loss with long or repeated exposure: 85 dBA and above
• Most useful single change: Wear earplugs or earmuffs for loud activities such as mowing, using power tools, shooting and concerts.
• Commonest mistake: Raising the volume to drown out background noise.
• See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.

The short answer

Loud sound from everyday sources such as power tools, concerts, sporting events, firearms and personal listening devices.

Where it fits

This is part of Environmental Health. Below: the numbers first, then what to do with them.

The numbers, in one place

What that means in practice

Put another way, here is what it asks of you:

• Wear earplugs or earmuffs for loud activities such as mowing, using power tools, shooting and concerts
• Turn down personal listening devices and use noise-canceling headphones so you need less volume
• Move away from loudspeakers and take breaks in quieter areas
• Use a free sound level meter app to check noisy places
• Get a hearing test if you are often around loud noise

What gets people into trouble

What to watch out for:

• Raising the volume to drown out background noise
• Using cotton balls or tissue as hearing protection
• Firearms without hearing protection, even for one shot

Related topics

• What the Guidance Really Says About Protecting Your Hearing (Hearing Health)
• Noise at Work: What Published Guidance Supports (Workplace Health)
• Hearing and the Brain: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise (Brain Health)
• The Evidence on Weight Fluctuation, Without the Hype (Weight Management)

Where to go next

• The Short Guide to Everyday Noise Exposure
• What the Guidance Really Says About Everyday Noise Exposure
• Everyday Noise Exposure — the reference entry
• Environmental Health: The Complete Guide
• The Evidence on Sun and the UV Index, Without the Hype
• Household Chemicals: What the Evidence Actually Says

When to speak to a doctor

See your doctor or an audiologist for ringing in the ears that lasts more than a day, muffled hearing, or trouble following conversations. See a doctor right away for sudden hearing loss in one or both ears, and call 911 if it comes with face drooping, weakness, confusion or trouble speaking.

Where this comes from

• National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders — Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
• NIOSH — Noise and Hearing Loss

How this page was put together

Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarized or generalized beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.

Medical disclaimer

This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to your doctor, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 911.