According to the World Health Organization, 43 million people between the ages of 12 and 35 have hearing loss, half of which is caused by unsafe sound levels emitted from their personal electronic devices.
While noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is the most common type of hearing loss, fortunately, it’s also the most preventable. The key is to monitor the sound levels and avoid dangerous environments whenever possible.
LimitEar, a technology company which develops hearing dose management technologies for professional headphone users, has developed an innovative app for your smartphone that tracks the level and duration of what users listen to on their personal electronic devices and prevents them from listening at unsafe levels.
Hear Angel® monitors how you listen, and lets you know when you’re in danger of overexposure. It can even intervene to reduce sound to prevent you from exceeding your Daily Sound Allowance (DSA), and has no effect on sound quality.
Parents can also use the app to manage their children’s listening habits and make sure their noise exposure doesn’t exceed health guidelines. A Daily Sound Tracker allows you to monitor and review duration, volume and type of music you’ve listened to. While not yet available for download, those who are interested in purchasing the app can pre-order on the company’s website www.hearangel.com.
Noise-induced hearing loss can also be caused when sounds in your environment are too loud. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), prolonged exposure to noise louder than 85 decibels (dB) can cause permanent hearing loss and tinnitus.
But how can you get an approximate measurement of the noise levels in everyday life? The following iOS apps are designed to give approximate sound measurement value and have a consumer rating of 4+.
Decibel Meter
iPhone, iPad
Free
Individuals interested in approximating the level of noise in their environment will find this app easy to use. Noise levels from 0-110 decibels are arranged graphically on a color-coded meter ranging from green (safe) to red (dangerous). Also includes a guide on how to prevent noise induced hearing loss (NIHL).
dB Volume Meter
iPhone, iPad
$0.99
This is another easy app for measuring levels of sound in your everyday routine. The thermometer-type display registers sound on a vertical meter from 0-120 decibels, using color-coded bars to indicate the level of safety.
TooLoud Pro
iPhone, iPad, iPod touch
Target-style displays in this app color code noise levels and alert you when you need to use hearing protection. You can apply filters to reduce the influence of background noise to provide a more accurate reading.
Noise Exposure
iPhone, iPad, iPod touch
Free
Features of this app allow you to measure sound in real time, as well as summarize and save the measurements.