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Noise-induced hearing loss, or NIHL, is the result of repeated exposure to loud noises that damage the tiny capillaries in your inner ear. It is the most common type of hearing loss, and often, it begins in the workplace – but may be caused by your hobbies! Do you identify with an occupation or pastime on this list?

Farmer

Farmers don’t just make the list; with their massive machinery, and in some cases, exposure to pig squeals (no joke!), being a farmer continually ranks as one of the top three noisiest professions in America.

Teacher

Teachers and daycare providers are consistently exposed to loud voices, crying, many voices talking at once, ringing bells in schools and lockers slamming in unison. Prolonged exposure to these sounds – think nine out of twelve months of the year – can cause permanent damage to one’s hearing!

Motorcycle Rider

Going 50 mph exposes the rider to 90 decibels of noise – and that’s under a helmet. Non-helmeted riders are exposed to up to ten times the wind noise than those who do wear a helmet. 

Dentist

Those drills that you are wary of encountering during your trip to the dentist are actually hurting them – their power tools emit up to 115 decibels of sound. Like teachers, dentists are exposed to these sounds day in and day out, and can suffer permanent hearing damage due to them.

Sports Fan

Attending a sporting event can expose an enthusiast to over 100 decibels of noise for prolonged periods of time – the cacophony of the game announcers, advertisements, fan games, whistles blown and the marching band’s songs over the roar of the crowd creates the perfect storm for hearing loss. (Fun fact: BleacherReport.com ranks Kinnick Stadium as the 13^th loudest in the country. Wear hearing protection on game day, and Go Hawks!))

NIHL is permanent. Your first step to treating your hearing loss, so you don’t lose the ability to understand language, is to schedule your free hearing screening today.