Halloween is a time for creepy costumes, trips to Mr. Jack O’Laterns Pumpkin Patch, and fun holiday events.
While there is much to do this season, it’s important to keep in mind that certain Halloween festivities may put you or your children at risk for noise-induced hearing loss.
What Is Noise-induced Hearing Loss? 
Noise-induced hearing loss occurs when exposure to loud sounds harms the hair cells in your inner ear. Once damaged, these cells do not regenerate, nor can they be repaired. Any repeated exposure to noise over 85 decibels (the equivalent of city traffic) can damage your ears. The louder the sound, the less exposure time is needed for potential hearing loss to occur.
Unfortunately, noise-induced hearing loss is common among people of all ages. According to the Centers for Disease Prevention (CDC), it’s estimated that “12.5% of children and adolescents aged 6–19 years and 17% of adults aged 20–69 years have suffered permanent damage to their hearing from excessive exposure to noise.”
Protecting Your Ears This Halloween Season
While not all Halloween activities are loud, events like concerts, haunted houses, Halloween parties and festivals may reach harmful volumes. However, that doesn’t mean you have to skip out on the spooky fun. You just have to make sure you have the proper hearing protection.
Wearing products like earplugs, earmuffs or custom earmolds can help keep your hearing safe while still letting you enjoy all the Halloween festivities you like. Just make sure to pick a type of hearing protection that feels comfortable and allows you to still hear the sounds you need to while keeping the decibels you are exposed to at a reasonable level.
Do I Have Hearing Loss?
If you’re concerned that loud noise exposure has already caused damage to your ears, keep an eye out for the early signs of hearing loss. These include:
- Feeling as though everyone is mumbling
- Struggling to hear high-pitched noises
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Difficulty following conversations in places with a lot of background noise
- Trouble understanding phone conversations
- Needing to turn the volume up the TV or radio higher than you used to
- Family members and friends have commented on your hearing
If any of these signs sound familiar or you have other hearing-related concerns, call the experts at Torrance Audiology today to schedule an appointment for a hearing test.