Loud noises can damage the tiny hairs inside the inner ear that send messages to the brain.

Once damaged, they can’t fix themselves and this can lead to tinnitus – an annoying ringing sound in your head – or even hearing loss.

We measure sound in decibels – it helps us put sounds into categories from the quietest to the loudest.

The quietest sound audible to a healthy human ear is zero decibels, but what’s the loudest we should experience frequently?

Whispering is between 15 and 30 decibels and normal talking is about 60. But things get much MUCH louder than this in everyday life…

A lawnmower is about 90 decibels close up and car horns come in at around 110 decibels!

110 decibels is a level that can be harmful to our hearing. Things like lawnmowers and car horns are only loud for a short time so we’re okay to spend short durations around them.

Someone who uses a lawnmower all day should use ear protectors – a way to protect ears from damage or hearing loss.

Sounds above 140 decibels can cause instant damage to your hearing, and rock concerts can sometimes reach these levels!

If you think your hearing is a bit ‘off’, you should take Phonak’s free online hearing test. Even if you don’t think you experience hearing problems, taking a hearing test can uncover any underlying issues.