In our modern world, we’re bombarded with loud noises all day long. From the beginning of the day, when our alarms scream at us to traffic noises to other environmental clamors, we live in a loud world.
When our ears are exposed to loud noises, the minuscule hairs in our ears can become damaged. Once they’re damaged, they’re damaged for good. We are always told that we should never say never, but this is nearly always a never situation, in that this damage cannot be repaired.
Knowing that, it should then be evident that we should do any and everything we can to protect our delicate ears. Some tips are fairly obvious. For example, if a loud noise causes ringing in your ears or muffled hearing, it’s obviously dangerous. In addition, if something is so loud that it hurts your ears, you should avoid the noise immediately.
These, of course, are not the only ways you can protect your hearing. Another way is to minimize your exposure to loud noises with earplugs or other ear protection. This is a good idea, for instance, if you go to a club or a concert since you can’t control the volume of the music.
And on that (musical) note, you can control the music you hear with a personal player. Unless you’re wearing noise-canceling headphones, you should be able to hear sounds outside your music. This may not seem like a big deal in your home or office, but if you’re out in public, it’s also a boon to your personal safety to be able to hear sounds around you. Many of us listen to music on our smartphones now, and many phones are smart enough to govern a safe volume. They will prompt you to reconsider if you’re trying to raise the volume over a level that’s safe and you should heed that warning.
Take this advice with any loud noises. If you have to shout to be heard over your television, for example, it’s too loud. And in the workplace, minimize your risk with ear protectors.
All of this may seem like common sense and it is, but that doesn’t mean it’s not important. Just a few simple precautions can keep you from more complicated problems.
