Strategies to Hear for a Lifetime: 1. Turn it down

The Sun Analogy

  • Sun

    We are all familiar with the risk of skin cancer from over-exposure to the sun over our lifetime. This is similar to the risk of noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus due to over-exposure to high levels of sound during your lifetime.

  • Woman with sun hat on a beach
    Just as you would use a hat or sunscreen to protect yourself from overexposure to the sun, there are 3 strategies that can be used to protect your hearing from overexposure to loud sound.

    Turn it down street signWalk Away street signProtet your Ears street sign

Turn volume down icon

1Turn it Down

Turn it Down

Icon sign indicating to turn down volume
Remember sound amplitude measures the amount of energy in a sound wave, and sounds with higher amplitude have a greater amount of sound pressure.
When you adjusted the amplitude back in the Science of Sound module, you were essentially adjusting the “volume” of the sound. Turning down the volume will make a sound safer to listen to.
Tuning fork iconSound amplitude measures the amount of energy in a sound wave, and is measured in decibels sound pressure level (dB SPL). Sounds with higher amplitude have a greater amount of sound pressure.

Thumbs up Try It!

See how the sound amplitude increases and decreases when you adjust the volume below. Low amplitude (green) corresponds to safe volume levels well below 85 dBA, and high amplitude (red) corresponds to dangerous volume settings well above 85 dBA.
Man listening with earbuds
Human ears and brains can barely detect a 3 dB change in amplitude, so turning your listening volume down, even slightly, can double the amount of safe-listening time.
Tuning fork iconEach time the sound LEVEL INCREASES by 3 dB, the amount of TIME you can safely listen to that sound is cut in half (reduced by 50%).

1. Turn it Down

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