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Frequently Asked Question
Noise & Hearing Loss
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How much worse will my hearing loss get?
Unless the hearing loss is a result of a cause
that is known to be progressive, there is no way to predict
how much hearing will decrease over time. In most cases,
hearing changes vary gradually over time. Most people do
not completely lose their hearing.
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How much noise can be around before I get a hearing loss?
According to OSHA (Occupational Health and Safety
Association) requirements, workers who are exposed to eight
hours of noise at 85dB(A), need to be included in a hearing-conservation
program. Workers whose exposure exceeds 90dB(A) must wear
hearing protection. With each 5dB of increase in noise level,
the length of time that the employee may not safely work in
noise (without the benefit of hearing protection) is halved.
For example, in 95dB(A) of noise, exposure is not to exceed
four hours, in 100dB(A), two hours, 105dB(A), one hour,
110dB(A) 30 minutes and a maximum level of 115dB(A),
15 minutes.
Examples of environmental sound: 90dB (garbage disposal,
noisy restaurant), 100dB (electric drill, snowmobile), 110dB
(power saw, video arcade), 120dB (rock concert, chain saw) and
130dB (jackhammer, Walkman set on high)
Susceptibility to hearing loss from noise exposure
varies among individuals. Although a hearing loss may not be
noticed right after noise exposure, the damage to the ear
builds up over time, so the hearing loss may occur at a later
age. If you've ever been to a concert where, when you left,
your hearing sounded muffled, you experienced what is called a
temporary threshold shift, or a temporary change in hearing.
After hours or sometimes days, hearing generally returns. With
more exposure, the ear does not recover as much. It does not
take another concert to cause further damage. Common activities,
such as lawn mowing, snow blowing, motorcycling, etc., do have
the potential to cause hearing loss. Suseptibility varies among
individuals. There is no way to determine your susceptibility
to damage from noise exposure. Therefore, it is best to wear ear
protection whenever exposed to hazardous noise levels, even
for short periods of time.
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