Spring is upon us, and with it comes festivals and fairs! Spring festivals, art fairs and farmers’ markets will soon be popping up around town, inviting us all to browse, mingle and enjoy an afternoon out. These events may not seem like they could pose a risk to your hearing, but don’t be fooled. It’s important to remain aware of noise levels and protect yourself against hearing loss.
Not Deafening, but Still Dangerous
When you think of dangerous noise levels, you probably think of rock concerts, gunfire and heavy machinery. And you’re correct: these things can cause immediate and drastic hearing damage. However, we tend not to pay too much mind to the noise levels that are high, but not thought of as deafening, the sounds that cause damage over prolonged exposure rather than immediately.
Sounds at 85 decibels (dB) are capable of causing damage to your ears. For reference, this is about the volume of a blender, heavy traffic or a crowded restaurant. That said, it takes about eight hours of continuous exposure to sounds at 85 dB to cause real hearing damage (and you’re probably not using your blender for eight hours straight). From there, the time it takes to cause damage is cut in half for every rise of 2–3 dB.
Loud Noises at Festivals and Fairs
As you peruse the stalls at the vibrant art fairs of Santa Fe, you may be exposed to 85 dB of noise and higher, without even being aware that noise levels are that high. Again, it takes a few hours’ worth of exposure to cause damage, but sometimes these outings can last a long time, and these events can reach 90 dB and higher, and at that level, it would take less than an hour to cause damage.
Some noise sources at festivals that you might be overlooking include:
- Vendors calling out to passers-by
- People chatting
- Live music
- Food carts cooking up a delicious meal
- Nearby traffic
Protecting Your Hearing
First, we recommend downloading a sound-measuring app on your phone and referencing it often. One of the biggest dangers of noise levels around 90 dB is that you may not register that it’s above safe volume levels right away. Using a sound-measuring app will help you practice listening for hazardous sound levels and recognizing when it’s too loud.
Next, try to take breaks while you’re at these festivals. As discussed, it takes one to eight hours of continuous exposure to 85–90 dB sound levels to cause damage; taking breaks and finding a place to enjoy some silence can interrupt that continuous exposure before significant damage happens. Find a park and take a stroll, or stop into a quiet coffee shop and enjoy a moment of quiet before heading back to the fair.
Finally, if you’re a hearing aid user, you can protect your residual hearing by simply turning the volume down on your hearing aids. The sounds hitting your hearing aid may exceed 85 dB, but they can be toned down to a safer level when they’re projected into your ear by the hearing aid speaker.
Visit an Audiologist
If you notice any changes in your hearing—muffled noise, ears ringing or a feeling of fullness in the ear—you should seek out an audiologist. A hearing test can determine if there’s any noise-induced damage to your hearing and how it might be treated. Call Southwestern Hearing & Balance today to learn more.