Do you know how to take care of your hearing?
Try our quiz and see….
1. Noise is measured using the decibel (dB) scale. At what decibel level can repeated or long exposure to sound cause hearing damage?
Wrong. This is the quietest sound a healthy human ear can hear.
Try again! This is the sound level of a quiet library.
Not quite. This is the sound level of an ordinary spoken conversation.
Correct! This is the sound level of a food blender.
2. What level on the decibel scale is a nightclub, on average?
Try again! This is sound level of a food blender.
Wrong. This is the sound level of heavy traffic
Yay! That’s correct.
Wrong! Although some nightclubs may hit this sound level or higher.
3. After how many minutes is there a risk of permanent hearing damage in a nightclub playing music at the average volume of 100dB?
Correct. You’re at risk of hearing damage after just 15 minutes when you’re in a nightclub that plays music at the average volume of 100dB, if you don’t take steps to protect your hearing. For sounds of 110–120dB, even a very short exposure time can cause hearing damage.
Wrong!
Try again!
Oops, not quite!
4. What are some of the ways you can protect your hearing from damage whilst listening to music or gaming using headphones?
- Take regular breaks of at least five minutes every hour to give your ears a rest.
- Use a volume limiter on your device (if you have one).
- Don’t go over the ‘safe’ volume level that appears on your phone’s screen when you change the volume.
- Invest in some noise cancelling headphones.
These are all great ways to protect your hearing from damage whilst listening to music or gaming using headphones.
5. When you’re exposed to too much loud noise, the hair cells in your inner ear can be damaged. What’s the name of the body’s ‘hearing organ’ that contains these hair cells?
Not quite. This is the name for the ear drum, the thin layer of tissue that separates your outer ear from your middle ear.
Correct! The cochlea is the spiral cavity of the inner ear containing hair cells.
Nope. This is the name for the three bones in the middle ear which are among the smallest bones in the human body.
Wrong! This is the name of the outermost curved rim of the ear.
6. In which of the following situations should people make sure they protect their hearing?
- Whilst doing DIY, such as using a drill
- When at a gig, music festival or nightclub
- Whilst using a lawnmower in the garden
- If you work in a noisy environment such as a building site or airport
These are all activities or situations where people should take steps to protect their hearing. If you work in a noisy job, your employer is obliged to take steps to protect your hearing.
Thanks for taking our short quiz… how did you do? Find out more about protecting your hearing.
