With over 300,000 people expected to attend the National Ploughing Championships this week and excitement building for the biggest agri-event of the year, hearing experts, Hidden Hearing, have produced research that highlights the high risk of noise-induced hearing loss in members of the farming community.
Any noise over 80 decibels can cause noise-induced hearing loss when exposed for long periods, with farmers and those in manual labour industries at a higher risk of suffering from early hearing loss as a result.
With this in mind, Hidden Hearing has produced a table that lists the decibel levels of some of the most common pieces of farm equipment, which you can read about via this link.
It is not just farm machinery that can put your hearing at risk, however.
Many common farm animals are louder than the 80decibel noise level that can cause acquired hearing loss.
Pigs, roosters, bison, cows, geese, and donkeys are among the loudest animals according to the research.
| Type | DB Level |
| Pigs | 100 |
| Roosters | 100 |
| Bison | 90 |
| Cows | 80 |
| Geese | 80 |
| Donkeys | 80 |
| Goats | 78 |
| Ostrich | 78 |
| Llamas | 72 |
| Chickens | 63 |
| Turkeys | 60 |
| Deer | 42 |
| Sheep | 40 |
| Horses | 38 |
| Ducks | 32 |
6 signs of hearing loss
In a previous article, Katie Ogden, training manager of ReSound, North-West Europe, outlined six signs of hearing loss to look out for in yourself or loved ones that suggest hearing aids could help to improve general well-being, longer-term health, and overall quality of life.
In summary, she will look at:
- Asking you to repeat yourself;
- Complaining about mumbling;
- Difficulty with phone conversations;
- Listening to the TV at loud volumes;
- Appearing withdrawn or being quiet;
- Exhaustion after socialising.
1. Asking you to repeat yourself
Everyone can mishear things from time to time and need them repeated, but if you or your loved one are constantly asking for things to be repeated or muttering the phrase ‘what did you say?’ this could be a sign you are lacking the sounds and signals needed to process speech properly.
Read more.
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