What’s a Safe Listening Volume?

Nowadays, we hear advice about our listening volumes and how we should moderate them to protect our long-term hearing. But what is a safe listening volume and how can loud sounds damage our hearing in the first place? Find out the answers to these questions in the article below; also, find out more about decibel levels and what to look out for in everyday life. 

Why Does Listening Volume Matter? 

The ear is a sensitive and complex organ of the body; it’s responsible for capturing soundwaves from the world and transporting them to the cochlea in the inner ear where it is transmuted into electrical signals for the brain to interpret – it also uses tiny hairs called cilia to process sound.

When someone listens to sounds at a dangerously high volume, such as sounds above 70 decibels (dB), the small cilia hairs become lost or damaged, making it more difficult for sound waves to reach the cochlea. Loud noise can also damage cells and membranes in the cochlea.  

The Short Term Effects 

If you listen to loud volumes for a short time, it can still affect your hearing. Whether it is audio through a headset or earplug that’s over 70dB or a loud one-off concert, you might notice changes in your hearing in the short term. But frequent exposure can cause long-term damage. 

After listening to noises above 70dB, you might notice a change in your hearing, your hearing might feel stuffed up or you might experience a ringing in your ear that’s commonly called tinnitus. These effects will wear off, but it’s always better to wear earplugs.   

The Long Term Effects 

Prolonged exposure to loud noises above the level of 70dB can cause long term hearing loss that might require a hearing device eventually. While exposure to some loud noises is optional, unfortunately, it isn’t always. Those who work in construction, for instance, need protection. 

If you’ve spent many years working in a loud environment, perhaps in a club or on the roads, your inner ear might be damaged. If you have recently noticed a change in your hearing it could be the after-effects of loud noise exposure, it’s worth visiting a hearing instrument specialist. 

What’s a Safe Listening Volume? 

The volume of sound we are exposed to is difficult to quantify, which is why people run into issues with their hearing in later life. That said, there are some movements in the right direction; modern devices all have a warning light that comes on when you increase the volume. 

Here is a rough outline of listening volumes: 

• 30 decibels: This is the level of normal conversation which won’t cause any short or long-term damage. 
• 80-85 decibels: This is the sound of heavy traffic, lawn equipment or an air conditioner. Exposure for over two hours can cause long term damage. 
• 100 decibels: This is the volume of a sporting event and can harm your ears after 15 minutes. 
• 110 decibels: This is the maximum volume on a smartphone; it can damage your ears after five minutes. 
• 120 decibels: The volume of a loud rock concert or large sporting event, it can bring about immediate damage.     

How to Check Your Listening Volume 

It’s easy to get carried away, your favorite song comes on the playlist and you crank up the volume – listening to music at high volumes is fun and immersive, but it’s also very damaging to your inner ears. So how can you tell if you are listening to your music at a safe volume? 

Experts recommend that listening devices should not go above 60dB, and it’s the hand that most modern devices have a warning signal to flag when you are moving beyond the safe zone. If you notice ringing in your ears that weren’t there before, it’s a good idea to take a hearing test.   

We tend to take our hearing for granted a lot of the time, partly because it rarely lets us down, but also because we don’t understand the dangers of listening to sounds high volumes. The truth is if we were more careful with our everyday sound levels, our hearing would last longer. 

Although 70dB is usually regarded as a safe listening volume, it’s better to ere on the side of caution and set your devices at 60dB. If you want to learn more about how your ears work and the best ways to prevent hearing loss, visit Hearing Well Matters or call us today at (647) 247-2704.