Protecting Your Hearing During Malaysia Day Celebrations
Malaysia Day symbolizes diversity, unity and uniqueness of cultures with traditions and practices. During this festive season we celebrate with fireworks, concerts and parades which often involve with loud noise exposure and might risk your hearing. It’s important to protect your hearing from the potential risks associated with high decibel levels. Here are some tips to conserve your hearing.
1) Wear ear protection. If you're attending a concert or watching fireworks, earplugs or noise cancelling earmuffs can help reduce the risk of hearing damage. Choose foam or custom-moulded earplugs for better noise reduction. Earplugs: Foam or silicone earplugs are a simple and affordable way to protect your ears. They reduce the overall noise level, helping prevent hearing damage from loud music, fireworks, or speech at parades. High-Fidelity Earplugs: These are designed for music lovers and festival-goers, reducing noise levels while maintaining sound clarity. They can be especially useful for concerts or events with live music. Earmuffs: For environments with constant loud noise (like fireworks), earmuffs are effective at blocking out harmful sounds, offering more protection compared to earplugs.
2) Maintain safe distance. When watching fireworks or performance keep a safe distance at least within 15-20 meters. Please avoid front row spot if you're attending a concert or fireworks display, try to stay further away from the speakers or fireworks. Fireworks can cause sudden, very loud noises. The closer you are, the louder the noise. Make sure you are at a safe distance from the launch area. This is to avoid the full blast of sound from explosions. Being further away will help reduce the intensity of the noise and direct exposure.
3) Limit exposure to loud noise. Fireworks, music, and crowd noise can be overwhelming. Step away from the noisy areas especially if the sound levels are at or above 85 decibels. Find quieter place to rest hearing between performance.
4) Avoid prolonged exposure. Try to limit the duration of your time in noisy areas at least 30-60minutes. The longer you're exposed to loud noises, the greater the risk of hearing damage.
5) Lower volume on personal device. If you're using headphones to listen to music or attend an event, keep volume at moderate level. Follow the 60/60 rule: Keep the volume at 60% of the maximum for no more than 60 minutes at a time. Consider using noise-cancelling headphones so that you don’t need to turn the volume up as high in noisy environments.
6) Protect child’s hearing. Provide ear protection for kids as children’s ears are more sensitive to loud sounds, so make sure to provide them with earplugs or earmuffs during Malaysia Day events. Fireworks and music can be especially overwhelming for younger ears. Please also monitor time being surround with loud noise. Be mindful of how long children are exposed to loud sounds, and give them breaks to prevent potential hearing damage.
7) Recognize sign of hearing damage. Be aware of symptoms ringing in the ear (tinnitus), muffled hearing, difficulty to understand speech after exposure to loud sound. If you experience a ringing sound in your ears after being exposed to loud noises, it’s a sign that your hearing has been stressed. This condition, called tinnitus, is temporary, but frequent occurrences can lead to permanent damage. If sounds seem muffled or you feel fullness or pressure in your ears, it’s an indication that your hearing is being affected. Move away from the noise and allow your ears to recover. If the symptoms persist, please consult an audiologist promptly.
8) Educate others. Spread awareness by talking to your friends and family about hearing protection. Encourage them to use earplugs or earmuffs, especially if they’re planning to spend long periods in loud environments. The more people understand the risks, the better everyone can protect their hearing.
Malaysia Day is a special occasion and by taking these steps, you can enjoy the Malaysia Day festivities while protecting your hearing for the long term. By being mindful of noise levels and using protective measures you can fully immerse in the celebrations while safeguarding your long-term hearing health. Have fun and stay safe this Malaysia Day!
Nurul Nabila, Senior Audiologist at 20dB Hearing TTDI
