The softer sounds such as the human voice will not damage hearing. Although the exact point at which sound becomes dangerous is disputed somewhat, most hearing health care providers agree that listening to any sound that is 85 dB or greater for an extended period of time will result in hearing loss. While different people have different sensitivities to noise, any time that a person needs to shout over the noise to make himself heard, the noise is loud enough to produce damage. Should individuals find that they are experiencing any of these problems, hearing protection should be worn. Many types of hearing protection are available, with the most common types being either an earplug or muff.
Earplugs are small inserts that fit into the outer ear canal.
They come in many shapes and sizes and vary in their effectiveness. When properly fitted, most plugs will reduce loud sounds from 15-30 dB. Studies have shown that many people do not wear their earplugs properly, thus reducing the effectiveness of the device. Custom-made earplugs tend to resolve this problem. Ear muffs reduce loud sounds about as much as an earplug, and if both the plugs and muffs are worn simultaneously, sound can be further reduced by 10-15dB. I am often asked how a person can tell if hearing has already been damaged through exposure to noise. There is no easy way to tell.