Liam O’Dell: We need to change the tone around hearing protection

When we hear the phrase ‘hearing protection’, it likely isn’t long before we conjure up in our minds an image of a construction worker with a pneumatic drill and ear defenders to boot.

We’ve all heard about the 85db level which can cause permanent damage to our hearing if that limit is continuously reached on a regular basis.

As such, when days such as World Hearing Day rightfully call for people to look after their hearing and invest in hearing protection, it’s likely that some people are reminded of the formal, legislative tone that surrounds health and safety, and continue to fail to take hearing loss seriously.

Granted, this may well be somewhat of a generalisation – and I stand corrected if so – but the evidence that more work needs to be done around protecting ourselves is clear.

My morning commute is often soundtracked by grime, drum and bass and hip-hop music bleeding out of the headphones of the passenger next to me.

In a bid to hear songs, people are genuinely ‘fighting fire with fire’ and trying to drown out loud noises with even louder noises. It can only do more harm than good.

Now, that is not to undermine the severity of hearing loss, or to say that a serious tone is not necessary (as someone living with tinnitus, the strong warnings about developing the condition are essential), but what we need to see is the establishment of a culture in society for hearing protection.

It’s not going to be easy. I’ve already talked about the steps that concert venues and festivals need to take to address harmful volumes in their premises – one of them being the availability of earplugs. Creating a precedent and expectation is one way of normalising protection.

Similarly, we too must challenge the misconceptions associated with looking after our hearing. Earplugs can sometimes be dismissed on the grounds that they muffle the sound of music and can detract from the entertainment or experience.

However, there are plugs which exist that allow for enjoyment whilst also reducing loud volumes to safer volumes. It is possible to enjoy live music whilst also protecting against hearing loss.

In a sense, we must relate things back to the individual. Thinking about it, I’m reminded of political campaigns, where if the factual approach only went so far, a more emotional appeal would be more influential.

If some continue to perceive the conversation around hearing protection as too heavy, formal or severe, then they must be made aware of the individual changes that can happen in their life if they don’t take action, whilst also offering the simple, practical solutions to prevent hearing loss from happening. 

Discussions around the risks of hearing loss and the small-scale changes to minimise them must go hand-in-hand, balancing the severity of the issue with easy and optimistic solutions.

Photo by Ollie Cole.

Liam is a mildly deaf freelance journalist and blogger from Bedfordshire. He wears bilateral hearing aids and makes the occasional video about deaf awareness on his YouTube channel. He can also be found talking about disability, politics, theatre, books and music on his Twitter, or on his website.