Loud Movies – Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

It’s a scene that is familiar to many people. The smell of popcorn fills the air as you watch your favorite film on the big screen at the cinema. But you could be damaging your hearing without even knowing it.

Even though loud chase scenes and hiding behind your hands in horror are fun parts of going to the movies, it’s essential to stop and think about your hearing health before you go. Research has found a high risk of hearing loss from movie noise when the volume is too loud.

Understanding Decibels

Normal conversation is about 60 decibels, and hearing experts warn us that eight hours of exposure to 85 decibels without proper protection could cause permanent hearing loss.

You probably won’t spend eight hours listening to sounds louder than 85 decibels unless you go to the movies four times. But it’s important to remember that some movies expose us to sounds over 85 decibels in just two hours, which is loud or very loud. When the noise level goes up by three decibels, the recommended exposure time goes down by half.

How the Movies Sound

The American Hearing Research Foundation says that “movies are a source of premature hearing loss.”

In 2016 Jeff Rossen, a national correspondent for Today, took a sound level meter to the movies as part of an investigation. He wrote down these findings:

• The western Magnificent Seven had a sound level of 93.7 decibels and went up to 97.2 decibels.
• A children’s movie called “Storks” was usually around 85 decibels but reached 99.3 decibels at one point.
• Deepwater Horizon, a movie with a lot of action and explosions, reached 101 to 104.9 decibels.

How does this affect our ability to hear? If the movie reaches over 100 decibels for even seconds or minutes at a time, you could be in that range where you could get permanent damage right away. Also, if your ears are ringing when you leave the movie theater, that’s a sign that the loud noise could have done some damage.

According to a report from Today, there aren’t many governing bodies that could control these levels. Even though there are standards, it’s up to each theater to decide how loud it should be. Even though the volume may change throughout the movie, it is not supposed to be louder than 85 decibels.

Protect yourself at the movies

Loud noises can hurt your hearing in several ways, from temporary hearing loss to ringing in the ears. Over time, hearing loss can become permanent if the hair cells in the inner ear get so damaged that they can’t be fixed. This stops sound from getting to the brain to be processed as sound.

Even though two hours of loud noise might not seem like a big deal, it does add up over time, especially if you love movies. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 12.5% of children and teenagers and 17% of adults have already hurt their hearing for good by being around too much noise. If your ears are ringing when you leave the movie theater, that means the loud noise could have done some damage.

Protect your hearing from damage caused by noise. You could put a sound meter app on your phone and try it out the next time you go to a movie. If the noise gets louder than 85 decibels, you can protect your hearing by wearing earplugs to the movies. Use foam or silicone earplugs if you have trouble sleeping after going to the movies. Foam earplugs will block out most of the noise but let some sound through so that you’ll still be able to hear people talking around you. Silicone plugs are more effective but are less comfortable for more extended periods of time because they’re harder than foam plugs.

Do you worry that you might be losing your hearing? Want to know how well you can hear now? Contact us to set up a hearing test and consultation appointment.