If you live in a quiet area and work in a home office, chances are you don’t need ear protection. That said, you might need some in your home if you are using loud machines in the home or garden. However, those working in loud environments – like construction workers and musicians – risk damaging their long-term hearing without adequate ear protection.

Certain Workers

People most at risk of hearing loss and inner ear damage are those exposed to loud noises, consistently making construction workers high on the priority list. However, anyone working on or near a construction site is at risk of hearing damage if they don’t wear suitable ear protection.

The machines used on a construction site operate at 90 decibels (dBs) on average, which can seriously damage the cilia of the inner ear in a short time. If you want to protect your long-term hearing, wear ear protection that brings the decibel levels back into the safe zone, under 70dBs

People With Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a common ear condition; it occurs when the tiny hairs in your inner ear are lost or damaged due to loud noise exposure. Because sound waves don’t reach your cochlea as they should, the brain compensates for the loss and your experience a ringing sound in the ear.

Sometimes tinnitus can be permanent and requires a hearing device to correct, but in most cases, it is temporary. To protect hearing from further damage, wear ear protection in loud environments and reduce the volume on your listening devices, giving your ears time to recover.

Certain Homeowners

If you spend a lot of time in your home working with machines or you live near a loud environment, it’s a good idea to wear ear protection. Household machines such as washing machines, dishwashers, dryers and various gardening machines can damage your ears.

Additionally, homes located near construction sites or loud roads can also cause hearing damage, so it’s sensible to wear ear protection. Ear protection is available in different forms, like inner ear protection or headphones. Choose the best option for your home environment.

Musicians

Another livelihood at high risk of hearing damage is working as a musician, producer or sound engineer. These working environments expose the ear to above 90 decibels regularly, which can create long-term hearing damage. The solution is to wear ear protection to avoid issues later on.

People who play in a band need to wear ear protection to reduce the decibels to an acceptable noise level, but it’s also important for sound engineers and general workers in the industry to wear ear protection as well. The music business has the same risks as the construction industry.

Festival Attendants

The people who make music need to wear ear protection to avoid damage to their long-term hearing, but so do the people listening to the music. Whether they are listening on a digital device or attending a festival, chances are their hearing will be damaged due to the extended exposure to high decibel levels. Always wear inner ear protection or protective headphones.