Hearing protection - Why should I protect my ears?

In our industrial world, noise is simply everywhere. But it doesn't always have to be noise. A wide variety of noises accompany us throughout the day. TV, radio, car, motorbike, traffic, workplace, party, concert, city festival, carnival, football stadium... the list could go on and on. But in the long run, our ears can't take it.

Hearing protection is like brushing your teeth. If you don't brush regularly, you get holes. If you don't protect your hearing, over time you lose your hearing... and irreversibly. If you regularly spend time in noisy environments, you run the risk of hearing damage.  Exposure to noise reduces the performance of our ears. Hearing deteriorates and we may experience whistling, hissing or continuous tinnitus in the ear.

Ears belong to the sensory organs. For what would we be if we could not hear our surroundings. Fine hair cells in the ears perceive sound waves, convert them into signals and pass them on to the brain. But if noise enters our ears continuously, these hairs break off and the performance of the ears decreases. It is important to note that these fine hairs are so sensitive that they can break off even in a uniquely noisy environment.

Volume is perceived individually. What is loud for one person is by no means loud for another. However, there are key figures that make loudness clear. Noise is measured in decibels (dB). The scale starts at 0, which corresponds to absolute silence, and is open upwards. 130 dB would be like standing right next to a jet plane taking off. It goes without saying that this is not healthy. Concerts, open air festivals and other music events often reach 130 dB over 2-3 hours.