Are you aware of the sound levels you are being exposed to?
Headphones are more popular than ever. They can be so useful to us for our playlists, podcasts and hands-free calling. Amazing for convenience, but unfortunately not always great for our hearing.
Our audio devices can reach sound levels as high as 136 dB! The recommended upper limit is only 85 dB for 8 hours per day. It is thought that teenagers and young adults are often exposed to unsafe sound levels every day. Are you guilty of this? If so, you should probably get your hearing checked just in case.
Smartphones
Since 2011, a staggering 470 million smartphones have been sold globally! With each new release of technology, people are spending more and more time using their phones. The good news is that there are now some great health apps that can help you out.
Apple Advancement
In their latest software update, Apple have added a new feature to their Health app called “Headphone Audio Levels”. This can provide you with detailed data about your headphone audio levels. Apple can then tell you whether your volumes have been “Ok” or “Loud”. Any long term exposure to sounds above 80 decibels are automatically in the “Loud” category. Sound exposure under 80 decibels will be sorted into the “Ok” category.
The app also has an environmental sounds level monitoring section. Here you will be able to track the sound data for your sound environment.
Monitoring Sound Levels
Monitoring sound levels on a daily basis is a preventative measure to preserving your hearing health. Measuring the sounds in your life, such as your headphone audio levels and the noise in your environment, is a great way to assess if your hearing levels are healthy. Over time you will come to realise which sound levels are healthy and which are not for your hearing health.
Modern technology clearly has made it easier for us to expose our ears to higher sound levels. However, technological advancements have also given us the ability toa monitor our hearing health. As long as you listen to your sounds responsibly, we think modern technology is fabulous!
If you are worried at all that you may have done damage to your hearing through loud noise, we can help! Get in touch with our friendly team and we can give you more information. We can also get you booked in for a free, no obligation hearing consultation with one of our Audiologists in the comfort of your own home.
