Things that are damaging your hearing

Hitting the road with a motorcycle - At about 80 to 100 decibels, the classic vroom sound of a motorcycle engine can damage your hearing over time.

A night at the movies - Watching the latest action flick could leave your ears a bit damaged. Noise levels at a movie theater range between 74 and 104 decibels.

Going to a sports event - Noise levels at sports events can reach dangerous levels, even when at an outdoor venue. Noise levels can hit up to anywhere from 94 to 110 decibels.

Hearing the shrill of a siren - You might want to plug your ears when you hear sirens. They can produce sounds between 110 and 129 decibels.

Going to a live concert - This one might not surprise you. But just like sporting events, concerts are also pretty noisy, with sounds ranging from 94 to 110 decibels.

City traffic - If you're often caught in city traffic, beware: heavy traffic noise can range from 80 to 90 decibels, which can cause hearing damage.

Attending a fireworks display - The visual that make fireworks might be spectacular, but the noise is dangerous and can reach 140 to 160 decibels.

Using a gas-powered lawn mower, leaf blower, or snow blower - Lawn mowers typically register at 80 to 85 decibels, while leaf blowers and snow blowers can be as loud as 100 decibels.

Going to an exercise class - Fitness trainers in group exercise classes often turn up the volume to levels that can hurt your hearing, especially if it's in a small indoor space.

Certain illnesses - Certain illnesses can damage your hearing. For example, if you have a high fever from an illness like meningitis, you may be at risk for cochlear damage.

Your work environment - You could be at risk for hearing loss if loud noise is part of your job. This is especially common if working in a factory, construction, or farming.

Ways to prevent hearing loss - Now that you're aware of common events that trigger hearing loss, how can you prevent it? Check out the next slides for some useful tips.

Avoid making too much noise - Do you know when it's too loud? If you have to shout over the surrounding noise, it's loud enough to damage your hearing.

Check out low noise ratings - Next time you need to buy appliances and devices, make sure that they have low noise ratings. You'll see what a huge difference it makes in your day-to-day life.

Wear hearing protection - If you know you're going to be around loud sounds for more than a few minutes, consider wearing hearing protection.

Earplugs - Earplugs are usually made of foam or rubber. They go in your ear canal and can reduce noise by 15 to 30 decibels.

Turn the volume down - Turn down the volume of your devices. Even a small reduction in volume can make a big difference to the risk of damage to your hearing.

Don't smoke - Here's an interesting fact: research shows that tobacco can make you more likely to lose your hearing. That's another great reason to quit!