The hobbies most likely to cause hearing loss, from baking to football
Having a hobby is really important for our general health and wellbeing, as hobbies help us relax, get away from everyday work stress, and fuel creativity. However, some hobbies may be causing more damage to your hearing than you realise.
New research from Boots Hearingcare reveals the hobbies that are putting Britons’ hearing health at the most risk - and some of them may surprise you.
Topping the list are watching live motorsport and watching live music, both of which involve lots of loud noise at high decibels. Live motorsport involve an average of 140dB, while a live gig has an average of 115dB.
Meanwhile, watching live sports matches carries an average of 110dB. These come as no surprise as they involve "amplified music, crowds, and roaring engines", says Hannah Samuels, audiologist at Boots Hearingcare.
These are all examples of sounds hitting over 100dB, which are considered unsafe to the human ear.
"Within just a few minutes of being exposed to anything over 100 dB, these noise levels can damage the delicate structures of the inner ear, which can cause hearing loss and tinnitus. Due to the fact that hearing loss is progressive and doesn't hurt, it often means that people don't notice issues until it's already quite significant."
However, hobbies like gardening and baking - which most people would consider to be quiet, relaxing hobbies - also made the list. Both activities scored an average of 85dB.
Samuels explains: "People often see these hobbies as peaceful and relaxing, which for the most part they are! However many would also agree that equipment used for baking and gardening - like stand mixers, hedge trimmers, and lawnmowers - are loud.
"The World Health Organisation suggests that you can listen to 12.5 hours of noise over 85 dB per week safely - that's around 1 hour 45 minutes per day. So the more frequently you participate in these activities, the more concerned you should be."
The study, which surveyed more than 1,000 Britons, also revealed that over two-thirds of Brits don’t think they need to wear hearing protection or choose not to, even though it is advised to wear earplugs for any sound over 85dB.
The amount of time people spend on their hobbies also needs to be taken into account when it comes to hearing health. Participants were asked how frequently they engaged in their hobbies in order to create an exposure index.
The index found that video gaming was putting Britons’ ear health at most risk, even though this hobby did not rank as high as other hobbies in terms of decibel levels. But with people playing video games nearly four days a week on average, it scored the highest on the exposure index.
"Consistently being exposed to anything measuring more than 70 dB can start to cause damage to hearing after two hours of constant noise. Those frequently sitting through long game sessions with their audio playing at an average of 88 dB are putting their hearing at considerable risk.
"Whilst it may feel more immersive to have sound play loudly through headphones when gaming, the long-term impacts of this can be both detrimental and life-changing," Samuels warns.
Watching live sporting matches was found to be the second most harmful hobby for ear health. While watching your favourite football or rugby game live can be joyful and fun, prolonged exposure to loud crowd noises can cause permanent damage to the ear and cause hearing loss.
Three ways to protect your ear health
Turn down the volume
Samuels says: "Most devices offer volume limiters which help you to understand when the sound is above the recommended decibel level, and you can set limits on how high the sound will reach on the device.
"If you’re getting a notification from your phone or smart watch suggesting that you’re exposing yourself to unsafe noise levels, take it seriously and turn down the volume or think about wearing earplugs if possible."
Wear hearing protection
"If you are someone who frequents stadiums for music or sporting events, or likes to watch live motorsports, we highly recommend you invest in good quality protective earplugs. In fact we would suggest wearing earplugs in all noisy environments, whether that be at a bar or even an airport.
"Earplugs protect your hearing by reducing the intensity of noise waves that reach the eardrum and are rated with a noise reduction rating (NRR) - the higher the NRR, the more effective. It's also a good idea to use hearing protection with filters, as these lower the level of sound but still enable you to hear everything and it can often sound better too so you can still have fun!"
Book a free hearing test
"If you’re concerned about hearing loss, one of the best things to do is book a free hearing test to see what condition your ears are in. The test will be able to pick up whether there’s cause for concern, and experts can provide you with all the information and tools to help prevent any further damage."
Read more about hearing health:
I tested Loop earplugs at the Eras Tour, here's my honest review (Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read)
How tinnitus can affect your mental health and wellbeing (Yahoo Life UK, 4-min read)
How hearing loss is linked to dementia (Yahoo Life UK, 6-min read)
