{"id":778,"date":"2019-02-22T16:42:55","date_gmt":"2019-02-22T21:42:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/charlestonhearing.com\/?p=778"},"modified":"2019-02-22T18:16:20","modified_gmt":"2019-02-22T23:16:20","slug":"protect-yourself-from-noise-pollution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hearingsc.com\/protect-yourself-from-noise-pollution\/","title":{"rendered":"Protect Yourself from Noise Pollution"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are many hearing hazards in Charleston<\/em>. While not as visible as a hazy skyline, another type of pollution puts you at risk of hearing loss in South Carolina<\/strong>: excessive noise exposure.<\/p>\n

What is Noise Pollution?<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

The World Health Organization<\/a> defines noise pollution as regular exposure to elevated sound levels that may lead to adverse effects on humans and other living organisms<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Exposure to sounds that exceed 85 decibels (dB) for longer than eight hours can cause irreparable harm to your hearing.<\/p>\n

The louder the noise, the less safe exposure time you have. The problem isn\u2019t just confined to Charleston, of course; noise pollution<\/a> is a global health threat.<\/p>\n

Constant background noise is easy to overlook; we naturally tune it out over time, until it is no longer noticeable.<\/p>\n

Traffic sounds, music, television, barking dogs \u2013 all are so commonplace they blend into the background after a while.<\/p>\n

Noticeable or not, exposure to these sounds on a daily basis disrupts the natural rhythm of life and is responsible for gradual damage of the hair cells in the cochlea that enable us to hear.<\/p>\n

The most common sources of noise pollution include:<\/p>\n