Jobs can affect our health in all sorts of ways. Today, we’re going to focus on those jobs that pose significant risks to our health in terms of our hearing. There are loads of examples out there, and some aren’t as obvious as others. Let’s go.
Builder
It shouldn’t come as any surprise that the life of a builder is a noisy one. According to this chart, equipment like drills can reach levels of 100 dB. There are a lot of different pieces of equipment that contribute to hearing loss in this profession. Other jobs that pose similar risks to this one include Carpentry and other professions that use large, loud equipment.
Musician
You know that annoying ringing sound you get in your ears when you go to a concert? Think of how bad it must be for the musicians who have to deal with it every night! Yes, even celebrities lose their hearing when they’re doing jobs like this. If you’re a budding musician, the best way to protect your ears is through earplugs as a prevention technique. The same thing goes for anyone who works to put on events that will emit large amounts of sound.
Gardener
When you think of the gardening profession, no one would blame you for failing to relate it with hearing loss. But, gardening can put a severe strain on anyone’s ears over time. Again, earplugs are the key if you want to prevent damage. According to the chart we mentioned earlier, a gas lawnmower can reach levels of 106 dB.
Office Worker
Wait, what?! An office worker’s job might be causing problems with ear health? Well, it’s true. If you’re struggling to think why that is, it all comes down to one word - earphones. When we’re working boring desk jobs on a daily basis, many of us like to try and pass the time with music. However, we’re listening to that music at volumes that are far too high for our ears. Over time, this can cause severe damage to our hearing. If you’re going to be listening to music at work, make sure you turn down the volume!
Race Driver
Welcome to the most obvious of them all! If you are lucky enough to be a race driver for a living, you pay the price with your hearing. It won’t come as any surprise to you that the decibel levels are massive, but it might surprise you that spectators are in danger, too. One NASCAR race car reaches around 130dB at full throttle. Add another 42 race cars into the mix, and it’s very evident that you’re dealing with some serious volume.
Hairdresser
Surely not?! What could possibly affect a hairdresser’s hearing? In general, it’s the combined sound of multiple hair dryers that actually poses a potential issue. Now, don’t get scared that you need to start wearing massive headphones as a hairdresser or anything! The amount of decibels that they generate is definitely on the low end of the scale. There are no guarantees that you’ll lose your hearing, but over a long period of time, your ears might just start to suffer.
Teacher
You’ll understand where we’re coming from with this one! If you’ve ever heard the piercing screams of a 5-year-old, you’ll know that it causes havoc for your ears. Add another thirty kids to the mix, and you might just find yourself struggling with the pain. The best practice for teachers is to break up activities, so the noise levels die down often. This will help to alleviate the damage, but prolonged exposure is still a risk.
Air Traffic Controller
Let’s go back to that original noise level list we looked at earlier. According to that, a jet engine reaches 140 dB. That’s a severe battering that your ears are going to be taking. A job like this requires noise protection as standard. Without it, you’re at serious risk of losing your hearing later on in life. Issues like tinnitus might develop in a very quick period of time, too. The same concerns go for anyone who works on the ground at an airport. It’s a very, very loud job!
If the worst happens, and you suffer from hearing loss, it’s not necessarily too late. There are ways of treating it, like fitting hearing aids for example. However, your natural hearing will almost certainly never return to what it used to be. This is why it’s so important to protect your ears in any job that involves high levels of noise.
