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Aug 06, 2023

When Exactly Should You Be Wearing Ear Plugs?

Photo Illustration by Lecia Landis for Verywell Health; Getty Images From mowing the lawn to concerts to the rumble of the subway, loud noises are a regular part of life. But noise that’s above a

Photo Illustration by Lecia Landis for Verywell Health; Getty Images

From mowing the lawn to concerts to the rumble of the subway, loud noises are a regular part of life. But noise that’s above a certain decibel level can not only be annoying, but also extremely damaging to your long-term hearing.

Luckily, protecting your hearing doesn’t mean forgoing every loud situation. Ear plugs or over-ear headphones can provide targeted protection, according to leading audiologists. Learn who needs to be wearing them, and in what situations.

It may seem obvious that ear protection is needed at a concert or airshow, but you may actually need it more often than you think. According to Amy Bishop, AuD CCC-A, Corporate Audiologist for Lucid Hearing, any time you need to raise your voice to speak over background noise, you should probably be wearing protection.

“This could include sporting events, busy city commutes, construction sites, or even certain restaurants and bars,” Bishop told Verywell. “It’s also recommended for those who work in loud environments, like factories or music venues. Even mowing the grass or working with power tools requires the use of hearing protection.”

Protection is important in these situations because hearing damage is a combination of both decibel level and time of exposure to the loud noise, she said. Sounds under 85 decibels are typically considered to be safe for ongoing, unrestricted exposure. She says that a normal conversation typically falls between 50 and 60 dB, but a busy city street can exceed 85 dB.

Melissa E. Heche, AuD, owner of New York Speech and Hearing, explains that above 85 dB, the damage increases based on the longevity of the noise.

“Sounds above 85 dB are safe with limited exposure times that get progressively smaller with each 3 dB interval increase in loudness,” Heche told Verywell.

Exterior noise isn’t the only culprit, either. Loud music played through earbuds can be dangerous as well, she said.

“Loud music through earbuds can be particularly damaging, most notably, because earbuds are not completely sealed into the ear canal,” Heche said. “This means that environmental noise can leak into the ear, forcing the listener to increase the volume to compensate for the environmental noise. This exposes the listener to louder volumes, much closer in proximity to the eardrum.”

Everyone is susceptible to loud environments, but Heche and Bishop agree that children are particularly vulnerable to hearing damage. Children’s ears are more sensitive to sounds, so high-decibel environments can make even more impact. Bishop said that introducing ear protection to children can help mitigate cumulative damage. Over-the-ear headphones can be used on people of all ages, starting in infancy.

Even if you’ve already damaged your hearing, earplugs can help, Heche said. There’s no age limit for the benefits, and when you know that you’ll be in a loud environment, it may stop the immediately noticeable effects such as ringing in the ears or pressure.

Heche said that your choice of ear protection should fit the environment.

“A low profile earplug is good for use underneath a motorcycle helmet, and specialized musician earplugs with filtered nonlinear attenuation are best for listening to loud music,” Heche said. “Noise-cancelling headphones can also provide protection in certain situations. An audiologist would be best equipped to help decide which hearing protection device is best suited for specific circumstances.”

Bishop agrees. While standard foam earplugs are the most economical and available choice, she said that they may not provide the best protection due to their fit. With custom-fitted earplugs, listeners may be able to preserve some of the wanted sounds while eliminating the damaging noise levels.

Minimizing the volume level while listening to earbuds is another good tactic, Bishop said. She recommends using the 60/60 rule to mitigate risk: listen to earbuds at no more than 60% maximum volume for no more than 60 minutes at a time. Many earbuds have built-in safeguards in regard to volume levels.

Apps that measure decibel levels and determine how long exposure is safe can be another helpful tool. Many smartwatches, such as the Apple Watch, now include dangerous sound alerts, but both Bishop and Heche said they may not be entirely accurate, so don’t rely on them for all of your information.

This is a huge variety of ear protection to choose from now, and if you’re in continuously loud situations, even those as innocuous as a crowded restaurant or bar, it’s wise to protect your ears. Long-term exposure to loud noises can impact your long-term hearing and cause conditions like tinnitus, aural pressure, and aural fatigue. Talk to your doctor or audiologist about the right ear protection for your most common situations.

By Rachel MurphyRachel Murphy is a Kansas City, MO, journalist with more than 10 years of experience.