If you are traveling by plane this holiday season you might want to take steps to protect your hearing health. While you might not think that flying could damage your ears, the noise on planes can sometimes get to levels that have the potential to cause damage.
How Flying Can Put Hearing at Risk 
The National Institutes for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends that all air worker exposures to noise should remain below 85 dBA in an eight-hour workday to minimize noise-induced hearing loss. The noise inside a plane during flight stays right around 80-85 decibels and can get upwards of 105 decibels during takeoff and landing. If you frequently fly or are taking an especially long trip, it’s possible this noise exposure could be damaging to your ears.
Tips to Protect Your Ears
The good news is there are several ways to keep your ears safe when traveling by plane. One of the best and easiest ways is to purchase earplugs that you can use on the flight. They are inexpensive and can be found easily online or at a nearby drugstore. Not only can they help protect your ears, but they can also let you tune out other sounds on the flight. Earplugs can make it easier to take a quick nap or read a few chapters of the novel you picked up at Blue Bicycle Books.
If you’d rather listen to music or watch movies that you’ve downloaded to your tablet or phone, noise-canceling headphones might be a good option for you. They help you pass the time without bothering anyone else on the flight and protect your hearing as well. Just make sure to not have the volume up too loud, as that can damage your ears.
Location Matters
In addition to using headphones or earplugs to protect your hearing, where you sit can make a difference as well. The closer you are to the engine the louder the sound is going to be. Seats that are up towards the front of the plane are farthest away from the engine and the best place to sit if you are prioritizing your hearing health.
If you don’t like sitting in the front or if no front tickets are available, aisle seats are better than windows in terms of loud noise exposure.
Whatever option works best for you, just make sure to protect your hearing the next time you take a flight.
For additional information about ways to protect your hearing or to schedule an appointment with an expert, call The Hearing & Balance Center today.