Noise isn’t just an irritation, it can hurt your brain. While aging does take its toll on your ability to hear, noise itself is the other big culprit. The greater your exposure to noise, the greater the likelihood that you’ll suffer hearing impairment. In the bad news category, researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that people with hearing impairments were 30 to 40 percent more likely to experience cognitive decline. People with hearing loss appear to lose brain mass at a greater rate than those who have good hearing. Hearing loss also increases the demand on the brain because of the effort involved when a person with hearing loss tries to hear and process what is being said. This can add to stress too. It isn’t clear whether the use of hearing aids can help reverse the likelihood of dementia. What is clear, though, is you should protect those precious ears! Noise levels over 105 decibels can damage your ears if you’re exposed to them for more than fifteen minutes per week. Levels over 80 decibels can damage your hearing if you are frequently ex- posed to them (for several hours per day). A forklift runs at about 90 decibels, so just working in a warehouse could damage your hearing if you don’t use ear protection.
Some simple ways to save your hearing:
- Use earplugs or ear protection in noisy environments.
- Turn it down—listen to music, the television, and so on, at lower volumes.
- Give your ears a break—silence can help your hearing recover. Without it you risk permanent damage.