What puts you at risk for Music Induced Hearing Loss (MIHL)?

Risk Factors:

• Defining risk is complicated. There are three main organizations that have differing dB levels for safe sound exposure.
  • World Health Organization (WHO)
    • Safe sound for 8 hours/day: 80 dB and below​
  • National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
    • Safe sound for 8 hours/day: 85 dB and below
  • Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
    • Safe sound for 8 hours/day: 90 dB and below
  • While there are small differences in these definitions (exact dB at which sounds are risky), all three organizations acknowledge that prolonged exposure to loud sounds, including music, is harmful to hearing. 
• Any sound, even those we enjoy such as music, can cause hearing loss.
  • Repeated exposure to sound 85 dB or louder (the sound of a window AC unit) for 8 hours or more a day can cause premature and permanent hearing loss (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 2019). 
  • Most noise-induced hearing loss happens gradually and painlessly.
• Daily sound dosage is similar to daily salt intake. It is cumulative throughout the day; the right amount is healthy, but too much can be harmful.​
  • All experiences during a 24-hour period which expose you to sound must be included. These can be:
    • Sporting events
    • Video games
    • Toys
    • Farming equipment
    • Concerts
    • Personal music players
    • Commuting
  • Dose = Intensity + Time
    • How loud a sound is combined with how long you have listened.
  • The following are a few examples of daily noise dosage (percentages according to NIOSH guidelines) with and without hearing protection. You can compute your own daily noise exposure on this website.
    • Under the Occupational Noise Regulations select “NIOSH”
    • Using a decibel app on your phone, measure the current volume of your environment
    • Enter in your decibel level in the “Sound Level dB(A)” box
    • Enter your length of time in the environment in the “Exposure Time” boxes
    • Your sound dose results will appear as a percentage of your daily noise allowance