Signs of Hearing Damage: How to Spot and Prevent It Early

Your ears are more delicate than you might realize. The safe exposure limit for hearing is 80 decibels. Regular noise above this threshold can cause permanent damage.

In a typical pub, sound levels reach 90 dB. At concerts, they often hit 110 dB or more—especially if you're near the speakers.

How does hearing damage happen? It occurs when the tiny hair cells (cilia) in your inner ear become overwhelmed and break. This can happen suddenly from a loud blast or gradually from repeated exposure to high noise levels. Damaged cilia fail to transmit sound signals accurately, leading to hearing loss, ringing (tinnitus), or buzzing. Since it often develops slowly, you might not notice at first. Once damaged, these cells don't regenerate—so early protection and medical check-ups are crucial if you suspect issues.

Key signs of hearing damage:

• Your ears ring after leaving a festival, concert, club, or rehearsal space.
• You experience persistent beeping or noise in your ears (tinnitus).
• You struggle to hear high-pitched or soft sounds.
• Conversations in noisy environments become difficult.
• Phone calls are increasingly hard to follow.
• Test your hearing in five minutes with the Ear Check at Hoorstichting.nl.

Which earplugs protect your hearing best? Various types exist for water, flying, or noise protection. We've outlined seven options to help you choose wisely.