9 out of 10 French people say they are exposed to excessive noise and are aware of the negative effects on their health. Discover my tips for regaining your form and your vitality thanks to good hearing health practices.
Hearing health – I protect myself from noiseThe proper functioning of the auditory system relies on a limited capital of sensory cells called hair cells. Only 15,000 cells constitute this capital at birth and it is a unique endowment. Their biological particularities are to wear out with advancing age and to be damaged under the effect of noise. When it is too intense and/or for too long, the damage to these cells becomes irreversible. It is therefore necessary to preserve this stock of cells by protecting against exposure to sound. If your hearing needs support, you can compare the price of an invisible hearing aid.
The accumulation of sound exposures will generate auditory fatigue, making the information received less and less clear. The brain will then be in difficulty to try to give coherence to the sounds received. Managing sound exposure helps reduce hearing risks:difficulty concentrating and paying attention, stress, fatigue, irritability, etc. From 60 dB continuously, the difficulty in understanding conversations occurs. The sound volume of two people talking is 50 dB.
In order to reduce this normally momentary hearing fatigue, there is only one solution:take a “break” from noise. A night of sleep of about 7 hours in a sound environment at a maximum of 30 dB allows the auditory system to restore the right internal balances. But 33% of French people say they need to cover the noise that bothers them at home!
In many cases, it is necessary to increase this respite time due to the constantly increasing exposure times:listening to music via the smartphone, noise at work, television at home, etc. The dose of sound is intense; too frequent solicitations and they promote the deterioration of hearing health. Wearing noise protectors when working in a shared space is one of the best tips. Taking a quiet break during the day is also a way to give yourself a moment of respite.
Perhaps like 3 out of 4 French people you consider that noise is other people. However, everyone is a noise producer and can generate noise pollution. Sometimes you just have to pay attention to the intensity of your voice, to be careful not to let the phone ring, to organize exchanges outside the collective space...
Noise in the office is also a collective issue. Beyond sound volumes of 80 dB of exposure for 8 hours, the employer must put in place solutions to reduce sound emissions at their source and protect employees from residual noise by providing them with individual protection against noise. Below, the question of noise is investigated according to the development of policies for well-being and quality of life at work.
According to WHO recommendations, sound environments of 45 dB should be favored to provide good working conditions. Various collective tips exist for this:acoustic furniture, organization of circulation in the spaces, formalization of rules of collective life at work, creation of zones dedicated to exchanges and telephone conversations, versatility on the workstations to alternate exposed time and less exposed time … The best solutions come from the collective. Here again, it is possible to act.
Only the complete assessment of the hearing carried out by an ENT doctor makes it possible to take stock of his ability to understand speech in all circumstances. This specialist will also be able to provide you with personalized advice to preserve your hearing capital.
