The Hot and Cold of Sound

Everyone perceives temperatures differently. Some like it hot, and some like it cold.

Same goes for certain sounds. Everyone hears sound a little differently. The consequence is that sensitivity to noise and hearing loss varies widely.

However, everybody has suffered some kind of hearing loss. Young people who don’t douse their ears with loud pop and rock can sometimes hear up to 25,000hz, but there’s a large percentage of the population who can’t hear tones above 10,000hz.

What are the noises that cause hearing loss, and how are they measured.

All sound is measured in decibels – dB. Each 10dB increase represents a TENFOLD increase in sound energy. So 90dB is ten times noisier than 80dB. It’s similar to how scientists measure earthquakes on the Richter scale.

Here are some examples of common noises going from quiet to dangerous.

Watch ticking – 20 dB
Whisper - 30 dB
Average conversation - 40 dB
Leaves rustling – 40 dB
Quiet neighborhood street - 50 dB
Dishwasher, microwave, blower, furnace 60 dB
Alarm clock buzzer - 70 dB
City traffic - 70 dB
Noisy restaurant – 70 dB
Garbage disposal, vacuum cleaner - 80 dB
Busy city sidewalk - 80 dB

DANGER ZONE
Battery powered siren or toy ambulance 90 dB
Lawn mower 90 dB
Screaming child 90 dB
Subway platform 100 dB
Power drill, chain saw 100 dB
Blow dryer 100 dB
Snowmobile 100 dB
Automobile horn 110 dB
Snowblower 110 dB
Noisy video arcade 110 dB
Rock concert 100-130 dB
Boom cars (when turned up) 125-138 dB
Jet engine at 100 feet 130 dB
Gunshot 140 dB
Jackhammer 180 dB

Here’s how to protect your precious sense of hearing. Limit your exposure to sounds over 85 dB. If you absolutely have to be around sounds above this level, wear ear protection.

Also, when using headphones, do the following. Keep the volume down. Most portable stereos can amplify music to as loud as 110 to 130 dB. What happens is that many people over time prefer listening levels in this harmful range. Remember that previous hearing loss doesn’t mean you won’t have further auditory damage.

So, if your portable CD player has a ten-digit volume wheel set at 4 or higher, you may be damaging your hearing. Limit yourself to one hour at a time and let your ears rest.

Just think of loud sounds just as you would exposure to secondhand smoke. Both damage your health. Safeguard your ears and your preserving an important organ of perception, pleasure and well-being.

Warm Regards,
Tania Gabrielle French

P.S. There’s no 12-step program for noise-ravaged ears. There IS a program that uses your ears to replenish your body and ignite your mind - use it and recharge your life now.