The information here is not intended to replace professional advice or care.
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| What is noise? | Any disturbing, harmful or unwanted sound. It is the most common health hazard in the workplace. |
| What are the
different types of noise? |
Noise can be continuous or steady. Examples include lawn and power tools, vehicles, aircraft and even some music. Noise also can be impulsive or banging. Examples include weapons fire, some toys, and certain industrial machinery. |
| Will noise
toughen my ears? |
No! Noise destroys your
ability to hear and to understand speech.
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| Can noise cause
hearing loss? |
Yes! Noise can cause permanent hearing loss. Our world is becoming louder, with noise almost everywhere. |
| How can noise
damage my hearing?
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The ear does a marvelous job of
receiving sound waves and sending them to the brain. Your ear is divided
into three parts.
Often noise will not destroy all hearing but instead may attack only certain higher frequencies. People with noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) most often report that they can hear fine, they just don't understand. In fact, they usually think everyone else is mumbling. Hearing problems in the outer and middle ears are usually medically treatable. However, there is NO proven medical cure for noise-induced hearing loss in the inner ear. |
| When and where
can noise damage my hearing? |
Noise can damage your hearing at home and during recreational activities. Noise, in combination with some chemical exposures, can increase hearing damage, for example toluene, lead, carbon monoxide, etc. Noise does NOT have to cause pain or bleeding to do damage. |
| Am I exposed
to damaging noise?
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Whether you are at work or play,
noise can damage your hearing. Over 20 million Americans are exposed to
environmental noise that can destroy hearing. Noise can place your hearing
at risk if you use radio stereo headsets, guns, power tools, lawnmowers,
car stereo systems, household appliances or motorcycles, to name
a just a few. Sometimes you are exposed to hazardous noise by just going
to a concert or
commuting in heavy traffic,
A good rule of thumb is that if you have to raise your voice to talk to people standing only three feet away, you are in a noise-hazardous area that can damage your hearing! You should turn down the volume of the noise, remove yourself from the area or get some hearing protection. |
| How much noise
is too much?
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The amount of noise that will cause
a hearing loss depends primarily on both the intensity of the noise AND
the length of time you are exposed to the noise. Other factors such as
your health or the frequency of the sound can also influence how the noise
can damage your ears.
For example, you can experience sudden hearing loss with just one exposure to an extremely loud noise. However, noise-induced hearing loss usually occurs gradually from repeated or long exposure to loud noise. Even though noise-induced hearing loss is painless, it is permanent. Noise is measured in decibels (dB). The louder the noise, the higher the decibel level. Any sounds greater than 80 dB are considered potentially hazardous. |
| What is a
hearing conservation program? |
A hearing conservation program is designed to prevent noise-induced hearing loss. Usually, hearing conservation programs identify the noise hazard, investigate engineering controls to reduce the noise, monitor hearing and provide both appropriate hearing protection and important health education about noise and its hazards to hearing. |
| What can I do?
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Protect yourself by getting your hearing tested by an audiologist who can work with you or your company to design the best program to prevent noise-induced hearing loss. Wear hearing protection (earplugs or earmuffs) when exposed to noise hazards. Your audiologist can recommend the best type of hearing protection for your situation. |
| What are the
warning signs?
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As we mentioned earlier, if you
have to raise your voice to be heard, you are probably in a noise-hazardous
area. Here are some additional red flags:
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