It is fun to work as a part of the working staff during concerts or at the bar or any loud entertainment venue, but being regular at these types of working areas can potentially cause damage to your hearing, especially when you aren’t using the right hearing protection.
Employees at loud entertainment venues are at high risk of acquiring Noise-Induced Hearing Loss – a hearing impairment that is caused by one-time or frequent exposure to a very loud sound – where the average sound level at places like these is measured to have 105 – 110 decibels. According to the experts, the safe sound level for humans is at 85 decibels and below; if exposed to sound 86 decibels and above, it can cause mild to severe hearing loss.
How will you know that your hearing is no longer as good as before?
To find out if you have acquired Noise-Induced Hearing Loss or NIHL from working at a loud entertainment venue or being at every concert of your favorite bands, here are the top signs that your hearing has been affected:
- You can hear sounds but having a hard time perceiving it. Frequent exposure to loud sounds can affect the way you perceive the normal level of sound. One for instance is the sound of conversation. The sound level of a normal conversation is at 60 dB and below; if your hearing has been affected you will notice that some of the words, during a conversation, sound like a mumble.
- Most sounds you hear become unclear or muffled. As mentioned, during a conversation, some words are hard for you to perceive, especially words that are soft to hear.
- You are having a hard time hearing or understanding someone’s dialogue from a distance at 3 feet away or further. This is one of the accurate signs that your hearing has been affected by constant exposure to loud sound from loud entertainment events.
- You will feel uncomfortable hearing loud noises. Not only you will have a hard time understanding soft words, but exposure to another type of loud sound can also make you feel uncomfortable.
- You are frequently experiencing tinnitus – a perception of noise that can be in form of ringing, roaring, whooshing, or a buzzing sound inside your ear – after being exposed to loud sounds for a long period.
- People around you are noticing that you are talking loudly than before. Since you are having a hard time perceiving soft sound, your brain will automatically increase the level of your voice.
How to protect your hearing?
There are several ways to protect your hearing, especially when you are working at a loud entertainment venue, but one of the most effective ways is to wear the right hearing protection. Also, you can find out more here on how to reduce the risk of acquiring NIHL when at concerts or loud bars.
Final Thoughts
Hearing is vital; once it is damaged it is irreversible. So, make sure to keep your hearing and your ears healthy and well-protected from loud and harmful sounds.