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Take a look around this section to find out how to protect your hearing when you are listening to loud music.
This information is from the RNID "don't lose the music" website.
How loud is too loud?
Simply put, the risk of damage to hearing is calculated on the basis of how loud and for how long. Experts agree that continued exposure to noise at or above 85 dB(A) over time can cause a hearing loss. You’ve been listening too loudly or for too long if you have ringing in your ears or dull hearing after listening to loud music. However, you may still be damaging your hearing even if you don’t have these symptoms.
Remember, if loud music ever causes pain in your ears you should leave/turn it down immediately.
Without noise measuring equipment, it will be impossible for you to tell what noise level you are being exposed to. So, a handy rule of thumb is that if you can’t talk to someone 2 metres away without shouting, the noise level could be damaging.
How long can I listen to loud music for?
It depends what volume you listen at. An increase of only a few decibels has a dramatic effect on the danger to hearing – this is because each increase of 3 dB(A) represents a doubling of sound energy (and halves the time you should listen for). As an example, being on a dance floor for one hour at 100 dB(A) delivers the same amount of noise energy to the ear (and therefore potential damage) as being on a slightly less noisy dance floor at 97 dB(A) for two hours. Simply put, a small reduction in volume makes a big difference to the length of time you should listen for.
In workplaces, staff are protected by The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, which stipulate that hearing protection must be worn if the daily average noise levels reach 85 dB(A). At 110dB(A) the maximum daily exposure time is about 1.5 minutes.
But remember, the Control of Noise at Work regulations don't apply outside the workplace so it is up to you to safeguard your own hearing at clubs, gigs and wherever else you listen to loud music.
Can your ears get used to loud noise?
If you think you have toughened up your ears to loud music, or become used to loud music, it is possible you have already suffered some damage. Everybody’s hearing can be damaged by loud music and nobody can harden their ears against that damage. Some people are more susceptible to noise damage than others, but you probably won’t know how susceptible you are until you have damaged your hearing. Noise induced hearing loss is usually painless and gradual, which often makes it difficult to notice that it is there until it is too late. Once it happens it is permanent. When you damage the hair cells in your ear they die and cannot be repaired.
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