PREVENT HEARING LOSS

The volume of sounds you hear is measured in decibels (dB), 15-20 dB being the softest whisper and 120 dB being a jet engine. The softest sounds one can hear are called thresholds. Normal hearing thresholds for adults are considered 0-25 dB across the range of frequencies tested.

Speech testing is also conducted as a part of this series of evaluations and helps to assess the levels of particular words you can hear clearly. These tests can help determine the type of hearing loss you’re experiencing, which can be categorized conductive, sensorineural or mixed.

Take a look at these decibel ratings and permissible exposure times provided by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (NIOSH/CDC)

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Intensities of Common Sounds in Decibels

Sounds	Intensities	Permissible exposure time
City Traffic, inside the car	85 dB	8 hours
Bulldozer	88 dB	4 hours
Jazz Concert	91 dB	2 hours
Power Mower	94 dB	1 hour
Nightclub	97 dB	30 minutes
Ambulance Siren, inside driver window down	100 dB	15 minutes
Rock Concert, Leaf Blower	115 dB	30 seconds

For a complete listing of over 1700 noises and their corresponding decibel levels, check out this list of Exposure Time Guidelines from Dangerous Decibels.

Benjamin Franklin got it right when he said “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”