Aiming for sound design: protecting your hearing in a noisy world

Hearing loss creeps up slowly, and noise is a leading preventable cause. Damage depends on both loudness and duration: sound at about 85 decibels - heavy traffic, a loud café - is safe for hours, but every few decibels above that halves the safe time. A concert or power tool can do harm in minutes.

Warning signs that an environment is too loud include needing to shout to talk to someone an arm's length away, and ringing or muffled hearing afterward. That temporary dullness is the ear's distress signal; repeated often enough, it becomes permanent.

Protection is straightforward. Turn the volume down on personal audio - if someone nearby can hear your earbuds, they are too loud - and follow the 60/60 guide: no more than 60 percent volume for 60 minutes at a stretch. Wear earplugs or earmuffs for concerts, shooting, mowing and power tools; foam plugs are cheap and effective when inserted properly. Give ears quiet breaks in loud venues.

Phones and many watches can measure ambient noise and warn when it is hazardous.

Have your hearing checked if you notice ringing, struggle to follow conversation in noise, or people tell you the television is too loud. Caught early, hearing loss is far easier to manage.