Let’s talk about noise.
The intensity or level of sound can be measured through decibels (dB). Let’s get familiar with dB levels to find out how loud is ‘too loud’.
And here's the catch, every 10 dB increase is actually 10 times louder. So, 80 dB is 10 times louder than 70 dB. This means that the amount of time we can be exposed to sounds decreases as the decibels increase.
At 85 dB, our max exposure time sits at 8 hours total before hearing damage occurs, but at 110 dB, our max time exposure goes all the way down to only 2 minutes. This means that if you're dancing next to the speakers, it takes less than the length of a song to cause hearing damage. A common symptom of hearing damage is the dreaded ringing ears, which often occur after a big night out dancing.
This is a symptom called tinnitus, and in our noisy world, it is very common amongst people who are surrounded by high volumes - like music on a night out, screeching trains and loud cityscapes.
If you can’t hear someone who is three feet away from you because the clubs too loud, it may be time to bring out your Sets.
If you're dancing next to the speakers, it takes less than the length of a song to cause hearing damage.
The hair cells in our ears can be compared to a blade of grass. They bend in the presence of noise and within a few hours, they normally recover and stand straight again. But, when exposed to loud environments for long periods of time, the hairs are overworked, which can lead to irreversible damage.
Our body is unable to produce more hair cells, so once they’re gone, they’re gone for good. There’s no magic cure for hearing damage, so prevention through protection is the best solution.
Visit our Learn page to discover more about hearing safety and sound levels.
