Hearing is easily taken for granted. Many people never experience issues with their hearing until it begins to decline in their golden years. But no one is immune to hearing loss, and estimates indicate it could be come a significant issue over the next quarter century.

A 2025 report from the World Health Organization noted that nearly 2.5 billion people are projected to have some type of hearing loss by 2050, with more than 700 million requiring hearing rehabilitation. Perhaps the most troubling part of the WHO forecast is that more than one billion young adults are at risk of permanent, avoidable hearing loss. Though such projections are disconcerting, people are not helpless against hearing loss. In fact, recognition of various threats to long-term hearing can be a great first step toward protecting against hearing loss.

Recreational activities

When engaging in recreational activities, it’s easy to forget cautionary measures, including the need to protect one’s hearing. But that can lead to irreparable hearing loss. Various recreational activities pose a threat to long-term hearing if the right safety measures are not taken before engaging in them. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders notes the following activities can threaten hearing if the proper safety precautions are not taken:

· Target shooting

· Hunting

· Snowmobile riding

· Listening to music on high volume through earbuds and headphones

· Playing in a band

· Attending loud concerts

Around the house

It’s also easy to encounter harmful noises around the home, and even brief or sporadic exposure to such noises can pose a threat to long-term hearing. The NIDCD reports that some common noises around a home that pose a threat to hearing include:

· Lawnmowers

· Leaf blowers

· Power tools

Avoiding hearing loss

One potential motivator in relation to hearing loss prevention is recognition of the average decibel levels of everyday sounds compared to the decibel levels of less common noises. For example, listening to music through headphones at maximum volume can be as high as 110 A-weighted decibels (dBA), which is just 30 decibels lower than some fireworks shows and roughly the same as police sirens. The NIDCD also notes that an individual’s distance from the sound and the length of time they’re exposed to the sound are important variables to consider when trying to avoid hearing loss. The further away from a loud noise and the less a person is exposed to loud noises can protect hearing.