How loud is the sound that can damage the ear? & bull; hello healthy

Did you know that not all sounds can be heard by the human ear? Yes, the sounds that humans can hear are limited. Sounds that are too loud can damage your ears and can cause hearing loss. So, what is the limit for the frequency of sound that humans can hear? Check out the following explanation.

What sounds can humans hear?

The listening process that you experience every day begins with the sound received by the ear in the form of sound waves. These sound waves then enter the ear through the outer ear to the eardrum.

The sound waves make the eardrum vibrate which then travels to the three small bones in the middle ear. Furthermore, sound vibrations enter the inner ear (cochlea) and are converted into signals to be sent to the brain for interpretation.

The sound that can be heard by humans is the limit to the frequency of sound that your hearing system can pick up on. Hearing frequency is measured in Hertz (Hz).

Quoted from an article published by the US National Library of Medicine, a young and healthy hearing system can detect calm tones with frequencies ranging from 20 to 20,000 Hz.

The way to distinguish sounds that can be heard by other humans is based on the noise level measured in decibels (dB). The higher the noise, the higher the decibels, the more likely it is that the sound will damage your ears.

Experts say that continuous exposure to sound of more than 85 dB can damage your ears. The following are the decibel levels of some sounds that can be heard by humans:

Painful sound (from 120 decibels and up)

• 150 dB = the sound of fireworks about 1 meter near you
• 140 dB = firearms, jet engines
• 120 dB = jet plane taking off, sirens sound

Very loud (from 90 decibels and up)

• 110 dB = maximum sound of some MP3 players, chainsaws
• 106 dB = lawn mower
• 100 dB = hand drill, pneumatic drill
• 90 dB = subway, motorcycle

Very loud (from 70 decibels and up)

• 80-90 dB = hair-dryer, blender
• 70 dB = very heavy traffic, vacuum cleaner, alarm clock

Medium (from 40 decibels and above)

• 60 dB = ordinary food, clothes dryer, dishwasher
• 50 dB = moderate rainfall sound
• 40 dB = quiet room

Weak

• 30 dB = whisper sound

What was the result of listening to voices that were too loud?

One of the worst effects of hearing a sound above the sound limit that can be heard by humans is ear disease, which is permanent hearing loss, and this is irreversible. Your hearing can be damaged by a loud sound for a short period of time, such as an explosion, or a loud sound you hear over and over again.

Your ear is a very sensitive organ. When listening, the sound that enters your ear makes the eardrum vibrate.

These vibrations can reach the cochlea (cochlea). Hearing damage occurs when the hair cells around the cochlea are destroyed. Generally, this condition is caused by listening to loud sounds for too long.

What are the symptoms of hearing loss due to loud noises?

Sometimes, you may not realize that the sound you are hearing is above the normal level of sound that can be heard by humans. Like when you listen to your favorite song using headphones or earphones You. For that, you need to know the following characteristics that indicate that the sound you are listening to is too loud.

• When you speak, you have to increase the volume of your voice in order to be heard
• You cannot hear people who are one meter away from you
• You cannot hear, or the sound in the ear is muffled after you leave a noisy room
• While you are listening to songs using headphones or earphones, other people near you can hear the music you hear
• Your ears feel sore or ringing (tinnitus) after you hear a loud sound

How can I protect my ears from loud noises?

In fact, it is easy for you to protect your ears from noise, namely by avoiding them. Some things you can do to protect your ears so that they are within the normal range of sounds that humans can hear are:

1. Use ear protection

When you hear a loud or noisy sound (for those of you who work in noisy places, watch concerts, use hair-dryer, or often on noisy streets), we recommend using ear plugs or earplugs.

Earmuffs or plugs can reduce noise by 15-30 dB when used properly, depending on the manufacturer and whether they are suitable for your ear size.

2. Volume limit not more than 60%

The sound that can be heard by humans is less than 140 dedibels. Meanwhile, MP3 Player or your cell phone can produce sound up to 120 decibels. This level is equivalent to a music concert that is enough to make your ears hurt.

Well, usage headset at such a high volume can damage your hearing in as little as 15 minutes. Therefore, it is highly recommended not to increase the headset volume by more than 60% of the maximum limit.

3. Put on headset no more than an hour

Listening to music while working in use headset it can make you too comfortable. However, this comfort could turn out to be a disaster for your hearing.

Even when using the volume headset already low, it does not rule out that a long duration of time can still damage the ear.

Therefore, it is highly recommended not to listen to songs using headset more than an hour. Let your ears rest after an hour of using this tool.

4. Do not snitch two noises at the same time

Do not use a machine that makes loud noises at the same time at home, such as not using the radio and television aloud at the same time. It is also not recommended that you try to drown out the noise you hear around you with other sounds. For example, do not increase the volume of the television while you are using it vacuum cleaner.

If you purchased an appliance that makes a loud noise, such as a blender, hair-dryer, vacuum cleaner, you should choose a product that makes a smoother sound. You can also use sound-absorbing materials, such as carpets and curtains, to reduce noise in your home.