"Power tools, especially, can produce incredible sound levels," says Henry Ilecki, the director of audiology practice in industry and private practice for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).

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"Something like a circular saw or a sander can be extremely noisy, and I'm surprised that manufacturers don't include more warnings about wearing hearing protection while you're using them."

"In fact, the last equipment I purchased gave all kinds of warnings about wearing a mask and eye protection, but nothing about hearing " he says. Ilecki says sustained use of such equipment could pose a serious threat to a user's hearing.

"If you're an enthusiastic wood worker and you spend, say, your evenings working unprotected, you could definitely put yourself at risk." Even if you don't spend your nights with a power saw, chances are good that you're still getting more than your share of decibels.

"We live in a modern complex society with a lot of noise. It seems there's nothing we do even recreationally that doesn't involve noise, and society as a whole is probably a lot noisier that 100 years ago."

As proof of that, ASHA reports, while previous generations experienced hearing loss in their 40s and 50s, many people in their 20s are now beginning to lose some hearing.

Complicating matters is the fact that most people don't notice hearing loss because it can be gradual and subtle.

"If you took a random selection of fourth graders and compared their hearing with college seniors, you'd find a difference, with the seniors having more hearing loss.

But since hearing loss is such a slow process, if you asked those seniors if they have hearing loss, they'd probably say no, and even when the loss was more substantial in their 30s, they may not be aware of it".
And, he says "they can't get it back."

In addition to hearing loss, Henderson says household noise causes stress-related health problems, including elevated blood pressure, fatigue, reduced sleep, increased frustration and anxiety levels and difficulty in concentrating.

To avoid such problems, ASHA recommends you:

• Keep your television, stereo and radio volume low.
• Limit your exposure to noisy environments whenever possible.
• Before buying household appliances, test them for noisiness and buy those that operate quietly.
• Use earplugs when operating lawn mowers and power tools.

Read more:
Truck drivers prone to hearing loss
Do doctors always know what causes hearing loss?

 

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