Hobbies are a great way to bring joy into our lives and keep us engaged. However, it’s important to always be safe when engaging in any activity, and for some hobbies that means protecting our hearing health.
Let’s look at the dangers of loud noise exposure, as well as a few popular hobbies that require hearing protection.
When Is Hearing Protection Needed? 
According to the National Institutes on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), “long or repeated exposure to sounds at or above 85 dBA can cause hearing loss.” For reference, this is roughly the volume of city traffic.
Exposure to loud noise can lead to hearing loss because it damages the hair cells of the inner ear, which play an integral role in the hearing process. These cells cannot be regenerated or repaired. Enough damage will lead to permanent hearing loss.
If you engage in any activity that regularly exceeds 85 dBA, you need to make sure you’re protecting your hearing.
Loud Activities That Can Harm Your Hearing
While not an exhaustive list, some popular hobbies that can harm your hearing include:
- Going to concerts. Most of us love listening to music. Going to live shows at places like The Senate or other venues in Columbia can uplift our spirits and get our adrenaline pumping. Unfortunately, concerts can also reach volumes above 100 dBA, which can cause tinnitus and hearing loss.
- Playing music. You might not just love going to concerts, but you actually play music as well. Whether you like to get together with your friends from time to time and play in your garage or even if you have the occasional show at a local bar, your ears are going to be continuously exposed to loud noise levels.
- Firearms shooting. The short yet extremely loud bursts of sound that can come from a gun can damage your inner ear cells easily. There’s even a condition called “shooter’s ear”, which is when damage occurs to the ear on the side of a person’s shooting shoulder.
- Riding motorcycles or snowmobiles. While maybe not the first danger you think of when riding one of these vehicles, doing so can absolutely reach levels that can cause permanent hearing loss.
Protecting Your Ears
The good news is you don’t need to give up any of these hobbies. You just need to make sure you invest in the right hearing protection devices. This could be anything from foam earplugs from a drugstore to custom earplugs or earmolds made for specific activities like playing music. Your choice will largely depend on how much of a decibel reduction you need as well as what feels comfortable.
For more information or to schedule an appointment with one of our experts, call Charleston ENT & Allergy today.