Beware of Loud Sound

Difficulty hearing or reduced hearing is commonly associated with old age. Yet children and young people can also experience hearing loss for various reasons. Exposure to loud sound, in particular, can itself cause hearing loss.

It is well established that prolonged exposure to loud sounds can cause permanent hearing loss, just as brief, sudden intense sounds from gunfire, a concert or an explosion can. Mobile phones, tablets and portable MP3 players are now widely used by children too. Although parents may suspect that these devices could damage hearing, they often do not know what to do. Medical studies have led many researchers to conclude that listening to loud music through headphones on these devices may be a risk factor for hearing loss at an early age. However, the size of this market and the appeal of carrying thousands of songs in a pocket and listening for hours whenever desired can lead people to overlook the risk. Users and others at risk therefore need to know at least what precautions they can take. When listening through headphones in a quiet setting, the volume is generally within acceptable limits, at around 77 decibels. But in a noisy environment, turning up the music to drown out surrounding sounds puts the listener's ears at risk. Research has shown that headphone output can exceed safe levels. More specifically, scientific evidence and our noise regulations recommend no more than 8 hours of exposure to 85 decibels. The corresponding durations are 4 hours at 88 decibels, 2 hours at 91 decibels and 15 minutes at 100 decibels. Measurements show that portable music players can reach 125 decibels.

If you want to enjoy listening to music for many years, think twice before turning up the volume — especially when using headphones.

Telephone dial tone: 80 dB

Traffic noise (inside a car): 85 dB

Underground train (at 70 metres): 95 dB

Hearing loss from continuous sound exposure

Hand drill: 98 dB

Lawnmower (at 1 metre): 107 dB

Onset of ear pain: 125 dB

Permanent hearing loss from brief or sudden intense sounds

Jet engine (at 30 metres): 140 dB

Gunshot: 165 dB

Death of auditory cells: 180 dB

Cahit Baltacı
Rekor Sanat – Guitar Teacher