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What are the symptoms of hearing loss?
Most hearing losses occur gradually, so the symptoms are often difficult to recognise. People might begin turning up the volume on the TV, or asking other people to repeat themselves. They tend to forget how things sound. They start to live in a quieter world, unaware that they are missing the softer sounds of everyday life, like the falling of rain or birds singing.
See the list below to learn about the symptoms of hearing loss. Note that the symptoms are different for adults than with infants, as described below.
Symptoms in Adults
If you, or someone you know, are experiencing one or more of the following problems, then a hearing loss may be present:
a) People seem to be mumbling
b) You have to strain to hear when someone talks or whispers
c) Difficulties in hearing someone call from behind or from another room
d) You need to watch a speaker's lips more closely to follow conversation
e) Following a conversation is difficult when you're in a group of people, for example at a meeting, at church, or lectures
f) You have to turn up the volume on the TV or radio
g) Problems hearing clearly on the telephone
h) Hearing difficulties at the theatre, cinema, or other entertainment venues
i) It's hard to hear in noisy environments, for example in a restaurant or in a car
j) You are limiting your social activities due to difficulty with hearing and communicating
k) You are limiting your social activities due to difficulty with hearing and communicating
l) Family, friends, or colleagues mention that they often have to repeat themselves
How much noise is safe?
Occupational Safety and Health experts have determined that the maximum time that you can safely be exposed to different time-weighted averages (TWAs) of sound pressure on a daily basis over a 40-year period as follows:
TWA Decibel Levels for Maximum Exposure
85 dB 8 hours
88 dB 4 hours
91 dB 2 hours
94 dB 1 hour
97 dB 30 minutes
100 dB 15 minutes
103 dB 7-1/2 minutes
106 dB 3-3/4 minutes
Exposure to 115+ dB or greater may pose a serious health risk.
(These figures are the recommended maximum averages without hearing protectors)
How can I hear other people and machine problems if I wear hearing protectors?
Just as sunglasses help vision in very bright light, so do hearing protectors enhance speech understanding in very noisy places. Even in a quiet setting, a normal-hearing person wearing hearing protectors should be able to understand a regular conversation.
Hearing protectors do slightly reduce the ability of those with damaged hearing or poor comprehension of language to understand normal conversation. However, it is essential that people with impaired hearing wear earplugs or muffs to prevent further inner ear damage.
It can be argued that hearing protectors might reduce a worker’s ability to hear the noises that signify an improperly functioning machine. However, most workers readily adjust to the quieter sounds and can still detect such problems.
For more information on hearing protectors, click HERE.
What are employer responsibilities in terms of workplace noise safety?
OSH regulations require employers to provide safe working environments for staff including the provision of noise control and hearing protectors. For more detailed information on this topic, click HERE.
© 2005 Medica Consulting Limited.
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