Do you really want to protect your hearing? When considering audio production, there are probably many tools that you may consider whether these include headphones, microphones or any other devices that may come to mind. However, two tools that many people overlook are our ears. Our ears are among the most important tools we have in audio production because without them we are unable to accomplish our tasks and accurately gauge audio sources. Neglecting the health of your ears can have lasting consequences such as permanent hearing loss, loss in ability to hear specific frequencies, and even acquiring other ear-related conditions such as Tenititus.
A few years ago ago, I began to realize that I was starting to listen to things far louder than normal. Whether this was turning the volume up on the television or listening to music far louder than I should, I realized that I may have had a problem. I knew I had a passion for audio production but I wasn’t taking care of my ears so I knew that I had to do something. When I was looking for solutions to this issue, I ran into some difficulty because of how much I was consuming from different audio sources but I eventually found these convenient fixes.
Damage to your hearing can start to occur at just around one-hundred decibels which is about the maximum volume on your typical iPhone and damage can begin to occur after just ten minutes of exposure. There is constant noise happening in most places where most people live, however listening to your favorite song at maximum volume after a stressful day is probably not the greatest of ideas. This is because of the potential hearing loss that can occur in such a short time and many people are often exceeding these limits by a great deal. As a result, there have been many small solutions discovered on top of the larger ones that most of us are keen to.
Some basic advice on how to protect your hearing includes making sure the sound levels are set to an appropriate level like turning down the sound levels on the television and music systems. While it is not always required, it helps to have hearing protection in case you need them such as cases where you would have to work and cannot avoid the loud sounds, and in most instances, many places will have requirements for hearing protection provided by the OSHA guidelines. These devices will include disposable ear plugs, earmuffs, and noise canceling headphones. Another great way to reduce hearing damage is by simply giving your ears a rest and by audio noise as much as possible. It is recommended to rest your ears from time to time for at least twelve hours and to get your hearing tested regularly.
It is very important to want to protect your hearing and as someone that is more interested in audio production than you absolutely have to. There are many inexpensive options that can help you solve this very issue today! I hope that this advice can aid you in preventing unnecessary damage to your hearing and as we continue on with audio production. Have you ever considered how your daily activities are potentially hurting your ears? Please leave a comment or pose another question for a future post!
I will catch you in the next one. Stay Classy!