NIHL is 100% permanent. But it’s also 100% preventable.

The ear never “gets used to” noise. It’s not like a bone that can heal if it breaks, or skin that can heal after a wound. Unlike the pupil of the eye, which can dilate to shut out excessive light, the sensitive cilia (fine, delicate hairs) in the eardrum can’t protect itself and will not recover from damage.

After hearing loss, the most common indication of noise damage is ringing in the ears (called “tinnitus”). If you experience this regularly after work or leisure activities, you should look into HPD, ASAP.

The most sensitive part of the eardrum is the region that detects high-frequency sounds. So whether hazardous noise is low-frequency (a foghorn) or high-frequency (static), a high-frequency hearing loss—where speech occurs—is the result.

An ear damaged by loud noise looks just like a normal ear. Ears don’t bleed, bruise or scar; damage to the eardrum is invisible to the naked eye. In short, you can’t judge someone’s hearing by looking at his or her ears.

Most of us heard the old elbow bit from our mom, and yes: It is true that using cotton swabs, erasers, pen caps, paper clips or pinky fingers to clean the ears is not safe. But earplugs are designed to protect the sensitive eardrum while never coming close to touching it—even when deeply inserted. (But remember: Your mother was right about everything else.)

Removing a 30 NRR earplug for only five minutes reduces effective protection to only 26 dB. Removing the earplug for 30 minutes and the effective protection drops to 18 dB during an eight-hour shift. This seemingly small act can turn adequate protection into increased NIHL risk.

It’s more about correct use than style: A poorly-fit foam earplug actually offers little or no protection from noise. And that piece of cocktail napkin you grabbed from the bar and moistened with saliva? A very, very distant third place.

If you don’t have scientific tools to give you an accurate picture of your noise level risk, you can get an “unofficial,” ballpark idea as to your risk of NIHL. Just stand at arm’s length from the person you’re speaking to; if you have to raise your voice to be heard, the noise in your area is potentially at a hazardous level.

From 1974 to 1994, the US Army saved $504.3M by reducing hearing loss in combat personnel through a dedicated Hearing Conservation Program. Between 1987 and 1997, the Army and the Department of Veterans Affairs saved another $149M and $220M, respectively, by reducing civilian hearing loss.

This amount is based on the Washington state 1991 workers' compensation hearing-related disability settlements, extended across the national workforce. It doesn’t include other costs that can include roughly $1500 for a hearing aid and approximately $300/year for batteries. It should be noted that, due to under-reporting, workers' compensation data is generally believed to reflect an incomplete picture.

30 million US workers are exposed to hazardous noise at work on a daily basis and approximately 10 million Americans suffer from NIHL.

NIHL is a risk in a wide range of work environments, but workers in some industries have higher exposures to dangerous levels of noise. These industries include: agriculture, mining, construction, manufacturing, utilities, transportation and the military.

Numerous studies show that the most effective way to teach workers about correct hearing protection habits and usage is through one-on-one training.

According to a recent survey by Energizer, 45 percent of adult children said that a parent’s loss of hearing has affected their parental relationship. In addition, one in three of those surveyed said their parent misses important details about their lives.

Tellingly, 72 percent of parents agree with those findings. So, yes: it does matter.

Hazardous noise occurs both on the job and off. You are exposed to dangerous noise levels in many areas of your life, whether at a music concert, a racetrack, using a belt sander or just mowing the lawn. All hazardous noise, wherever you are exposed to it, forms part of an overall cumulative risk that can damage your hearing—even if you follow every HPD rule at work.

Using earplugs helps to keep your mind free from unwanted intrusions (or “white noise”), allowing you to keep your attention on what you’re doing, rather than what everyone else in the world is doing around you.