These days, many gym classes and drinking bars play loud music. This can be downright dangerous for your ears.
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), extended exposure to sounds of 85 dB or louder can lead to permanent hearing loss.
Safe Levels of Noise Exposure
| Continuous Noise Level | Maximum Exposure Before Permanent Hearing Loss |
|---|---|
| 85 dB | 8 hours |
| 88 dB | 4 hours |
| 91 dB | 2 hours |
| 94 dB | 1 hour |
| 97 dB | 30 minutes |
| 100 dB | 15 minutes |
Fitness instructors claim that without loud music, it is less motivating for participants to do a rigorous workout. However, medical experts do not agree with that claim: Extra-loud music does not inspire more intense workouts.
This hearing loss, called Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL), is the only type of hearing loss that is preventable. Here are some ideas to prevent NIHL in your fitness classes.
You may consider using this Sound Level Meter mobile app, developed by NIOSH, to measure ambient noise.
Use an earplug if you are going to be in a noisy environment for an extended period.
First published on: 26th November 2021
Image Credit: edoardo-tommasini on Pexels
In the similar lines .., I feel over use of headphones on high volumes must be giving hearing loss . I feel our ears were not designed absorb sounds from that close distance to our eardrums.., our ears and outer cartilage are designed to gather sounds from far and near and were capable of capturing even the minutes noises., give your thoughts on this, maybe you can do one video on this too
Quite possible. It is the effective sound level at the ear drum level that matters.