Laurence Chu, MD, FACS

How loud is too Loud? Take care of your hearing. Knowing which noises can cause permanent damage will help to prevent long term injury. Wear hearing protection, not headphones, when involved with loud activities.

Decibel Levels (average level of noise made)

20 Watch Ticking

30 Whispering

40 Leaves rustling

50 Quiet Neighborhood

60 Normal Conversation Dishwasher, Microwave, Blower on Furnace

70 Alarm Clock Buzzer, City Traffic

80 Garbage disposal, Vacuum cleaner

85 Heavy City Traffic

90 Lawnmower

95 Motorcycle

100 Blowdryer

105 Personal Stereo System at Maximum level

110 Automobile horn

120 Jack hammer, Rock Concert

130 Jet Engine (from 100 feet away)

140 Shotgun Blast

85 Decibels-Prolonged exposure to noise above 85 decibels can cause hearing loss

100 Decibels-Exposure longer than 15 minutes can cause permanent loss

110 Decibels-Exposure of no more than 1 minute can cause hearing loss.