Hearing Loss: The detriment to your career
A harder lesson for some of us who might have already experienced hearing loss, potentially permanently. I’m talking about hearing damage. For a few years, I worked in the brewing industry. It wasn’t until I attended a safety seminar that I realized the severity of what I was exposing myself to. In loud environments, if exposure persists over certain durations, hearing damage can occur at around 85 dB. While momentary spikes in volume aren't as harmful, prolonged exposure, such as an 8-hour workday with loud music, can cause significant damage.
A few suggestions: when calibrating your monitor speakers, headphone mixer, or sound systems, set the unity level of the monitor volume to 70 or 60 dB. This way, even during the loudest moments of monitoring, you won’t be exposed to damaging levels of sound. When mixing, keep the volume lower, but ensure you have a system in place to protect your ears and prevent hearing damage.
There are tests that can determine the specific frequencies where damage has occurred in your hearing. Often, this damage affects the ranges critical for speech recognition. Unfortunately, I’ve experienced hearing loss and tinnitus from listening to music too loudly, working in loud breweries without ear protection, and attending concerts without using ear dampening gels or muffs. Once your hearing is gone, you can’t get it back. I’ve been warned multiple times by people who knew how much music and sound mean to me. I wish I had been more disciplined and attentive then, but now I’m more vigilant in managing and preventing further hearing damage.
If you're concerned about hearing damage, you can visit an audiologist or an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist at a doctor's office. They will conduct tests known as audiometry tests, which can determine the specific frequencies where hearing loss has occurred. These tests typically involve wearing headphones while listening to tones at various frequencies and volumes. The results will show which frequencies you may have difficulty hearing, often focusing on the critical range for speech recognition (typically between 500 Hz and 4000 Hz). This data helps pinpoint the severity and frequency range of your hearing loss.
The doctor will provide you with a detailed audiogram, which visually charts your hearing ability across different frequencies. This allows the doctor to identify specific areas of hearing loss, such as high-frequency loss (common from noise exposure) or loss in the mid-range, which can affect speech clarity.
As for hearing protection, the doctor may recommend approved solutions like custom-molded earplugs, which provide tailored protection based on your ear shape. Other options include foam earplugs, musician’s earplugs, or over-the-ear hearing protectors. For consistent protection, consider earplugs or earmuffs that meet standards set by organizations like OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) or NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health). These ensure adequate protection in environments with prolonged exposure to loud noises.