Why You Should Pay Attention To What You Hear

If you had to choose, would you rather be blind or deaf?

When Helen Keller was in her seventies, she responded to that question. “After a lifetime in silence and darkness,” she replied, “to be deaf is a greater affliction than to be blind.”

The author David Owen agrees. In his book, Volume Control: Hearing in a Deafening World, he recalls pondering that choice during dinner with family and friends. He writes, “If I were deaf, I wouldn’t be even a tangential participant in the evening… I’d have been a silent lump at one end of a bench, trying to seem interested and present but having no idea what anyone was laughing about, worrying that everyone was feeling sorry for me, if they were thinking about me at all.”

Bottom line, according to Owen: Protect your hearing in every way possible. He also notes that a stubborn refusal to admit you need, or to wear, hearing aids comes with a huge social cost. People with hearing loss are largely excluded from conversations, which leads to feelings of isolation. His book extensively explores all options available to help with hearing loss.

Back in the 1960s and ‘70s, when headphones and rock concerts became popular, experts warned us that loud noise could damage our ears (and brains). Hopefully, you heeded that warning because it’s true. The louder a sound is, and the longer you listen to it, the more damage is done. But even if your hearing isn’t what it used to be, you can (and should) still protect whatever hearing you still have.

With that in mind, let’s consider common, everyday noises. Close your eyes for a moment and listen to the sounds in your environment.

If you’re inside a building, you’ll be surprised to notice how many sounds you were unaware of until you focused your attention on them. There are lots of noises inside:  refrigerator, air conditioner or heater, dishwasher, washer, dryer, background music and/or television, espresso machine, clatter of dishes, conversations…  

If you’re outside, you’ll also notice a wide variety of sounds:  birdsong, construction noises, traffic, voices, the sound of water or wind, airplanes... most of which you don’t usually notice because we tend to block out noise that’s familiar.

Most of these inside and outside sounds are safe for our ears. But some sounds are not safe. If you often use a blender, or any other loud appliance, you should wear ear plugs while it’s running. If you’re outside and hear an ambulance or police siren approaching, you should cover your ears until it passes. At sporting events, the high volume of crowd noise, announcers, and music is another threat to your hearing.

The loudness of sound is measured in decibels (dB). In time, any sound that’s 85 decibels or higher can cause hearing loss, or other problems, such as tinnitus — hearing ringing, roaring, buzzing, hissing, or whistling sounds that won’t go away. Trust me: You do not want to mess with tinnitus. Ask anyone who suffers from it. People have lapsed into depression and even committed suicide over tinnitus. You should do everything possible to avoid it, including being the oddball person wearing ear plugs at a loud cocktail party.

If you’re concerned about the level of noise in your work or home or recreation environment, you can measure the decibels with a free mobile decibel-reading app. Or purchase a hand-held or wall-mount decibel meter. Prices generally range from $16 to $250. But you probably won’t need any technology to tell you when things get too loud. Just pay attention to how your ears (and brain) are feeling. Sound that’s too loud hurts!

The easiest way to protect your hearing is to carry soft foam earplugs with you. You can buy them in any hardware store, or online. They are cheap, easy to stow in pockets and purses. There’s a guide on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health website (cdc.gov/niosh) titled, “How To Wear Soft Foam Earplugs,” which describes the correct way to put foam earplugs into your ears. In some situations, earmuffs or noise-cancelling headphones might be adequate protection for your ears.

Inside of your ears are tiny, delicate fibers that help you hear. Exposure to loud noise can damage these fibers, as well as nerve cells in the cochlea that send sound signals to the brain. And that damage cannot be fixed, which is a very good reason to pay attention to what you hear.

If you have concerns about your hearing, or need more information about protecting your ears, an audiologist can help. An online search for “audiologist near me” (or the name of your town) will give you a list of options.