The Risks of Noise

Noise-induced hearing loss is an accumulated disease that increases at every over-exposure. The damage to your hearing from loud noise is done slowly, usually over the course of many years. This makes it difficult to discover at an early stage.

When you are exposed to noise, the cells in your ear swell and become stiff. This can cause a temporary hearing disorder. If the exposure continues, the cells will eventually die, causing permanent hearing loss. Long-term noise exposure can also cause tinnitus and hyperacusis – sensitivity to certain sounds. Although the damage is physical, hearing loss can also affect your mental health. Problems like not being able to hear what your grandchildren are saying or feeling limited in your social life can cause depression and stress, which in turn can lead to high blood pressure.

Here is an unscientific but easy to grasp explanation: Imagine that the total noise exposure that is safe to endure during a day fits into a plain drinking glass. All the noise you are exposed to during the day is like water poured into that glass. When you sleep, the content of the glass disappears, and you start with an empty glass the next day. But if the glass has overflowed, a night’s rest is not enough to get rid of all the water. The next day, the glass is already half-full when you start your day. If this continues during a long period of time, the hearing organ becomes exhausted and eventually damaged.

If the imaginary glass of water is filled up during your working day, there is no room left for all the noise you encounter in your spare time. By using hearing protection when working in noisy environments, you decrease the amount of water in the glass and create an exposure buffer.

According to EU noise directive 2003/10/EC, hearing protection must be used if the average noise level is 85 dB or higher, and it is recommended from an average level of 80 dB. However, at Hellberg we recommend always reducing noise levels to a maximum of 75 dB. This is because noise reduction can be affected by a number of external factors.

If you are unsure of the noise level, a useful rule of thumb is that if you need to raise your voice to be heard when standing one meter from someone else, the noise level is likely dangerous.

The attenuation of noise provided by your hearing protector can decrease due to insufficient fitting, misuse and poor maintenance. Long hair, beards and glasses can affect the fit of the protector. The greater the noise abatement, the more your hearing is protected. But remember that too much attenuation can be dangerous too, for example if it stops you from hearing warning signals. That is why it is very important to choose the correct hearing protection based on your needs. Our selection guide will help you find the right hearing protectors for you.

Removing your hearing protectors while working in dangerous noise levels is easily done. Perhaps you just lift a cup to hear what a colleague says or remove the protectors altogether to answer a phone call.

Unfortunately, even short exposures to loud noise can cause damage, despite long intervals of adequate protection. If removing or just lifting the hearing protection for less than a total of ten minutes a day, the attenuation effect drops drastically. This is especially true at higher frequencies where attenuation is optimal. Hellberg offers a wide range of hearing protection with a variety of features such as active listening, Bluetooth and two-way communication, to ensure that your hearing is protected at all times. Choose the right hearing protectors for your needs – that way you never need to remove them while exposed to dangerous noise.