sounds are called tinnitus.
According to literature provided by the British Tinni-
tus Association, 10% of the population has mild tinnitus
all the time. When noise to which we are subjected or
choose to expose ourselves is measured, it’s not surpris-
ing. The levels of noise which are capable of doing dam-
age to the hair cells surround us all the time in our daily
lives. Noise is measured in decibels (dBA). The louder
the noise, the less time one can be exposed to it without
causing damage. Here are some everyday sounds and
the decibels associated with them.
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0 dBA
10 dBA
30 dBA
40 dBA
50 dBA
50-80 dBA
60 dBA
60-95 dBA
75-85 dBA
80 dBA
95-110 dBA
100 dBA
110 dBA
110 dBA
115 dBA
120 dBA
140 dBA
157 dBA
170 dBA
Softest level the human can hear
Normal breathing
Whisper
Quiet office/ library
Refrigerator
Electric shaver
Normal conversation
Hair dryer
Flushed toilet
Ringing phone, Vacuum cleaner
Motorcycle
Personal stereo
Car horn
Crying baby
Night Club
Ambulance
Aeroplane take-off
Balloon pop
Shotgun
Now, it’s not the noise of the motorcycle engine that’s
the problem. It’s the airflow around the rider’s helmet
that does the damage. Even at 60 kilometres per hour
‘wind noise’ generates 85-90 dBA, safe for up to eight
hours. At 160 kph and 110 dBA the safe exposure time
reduces to about three minutes. Legally, in Australia an
employer must provide ear protection in the workplace
if sound levels exceed 80 dBA (85 dBA in the United
Kingdom).
Helmet manufacturers could help more by offering
better protection. Given that most riders will exceed the
safe limits and exposure times apart from short, urban
journeys, the only sensible thing to do is to wear ear
protection to stop wind noise causing problems. What-
ever type you choose it’s important that they are com-
fortable and fit well. Don’t worry that you won’t be able
to hear traffic warnings, sirens and the like. Research
shows that at speeds over 70 kph, the elimination of the
wind noise by using earplugs makes these sounds more
distinguishable. Engine purring sounds better when
wearing them and the rush of wind is less distracting,
even when wearing an open-face helmet.
You can spend as much money as you like on ear-
plugs. They all do the job for which they are intended
if they are fitted well. There are all sorts on the mar-
ket from squidgy foam to very expensive individually
moulded, custom-made with provision for use of mobile
phones, music players or rider/pillion communication
systems. The manufacturers claim these are more com-
fortable and are better for people with a large ear-canal
as smaller ones may not be easily retrieved after use.
They fit flatter to the head too, a distinct advantage
when wearing a helmet.
‘Off the shelf’ earplugs which, protrude may be dis-
lodged when putting on the helmet.
Foam earplugs are the cheapest and are available
from chemists, DIY outlets and the internet. If you use
them, make sure they go right in the ear canal; roll them
between finger and thumb first. Lifting the upper part
of the external ear when you insert one can help line
up the ear canal for an effective fit. You’ll know when
you’ve got it right. They are cheap enough to replace
regularly to reduce the risk of introducing infection into
the ear. So, don’t keep the same pair for years when
they’ve been rolling around an oily workshop floor or
are covered in unspeakable dirt and fluff from your mo-
torcycle jacket pocket!
A quick internet search will reveal a huge range of
different earplugs to suit everyone.
An informal survey of motorcycle riders reveals that
most admitted to a degree of tinnitus and/or hearing
loss but that they attribute this to age or rock concerts
rather than motorcycling. Very few regularly use ear-
plugs. Younger riders are more likely to wear earplugs.
If, on reading this, you identify that you may have this
condition, don’t despair! In the first instance see your
GP who will examine your ears to check for infection,
build-up of wax or any other abnormality. You may then
be referred to an Audiologist and / or an Ear, Nose and
Throat specialist.
A hearing test and with a specialist usually follows
referral which can determine whether your condition is
caused by excessive noise, age or something else. The
Audiologist will talk you through the condition and give
advice on how best to tackle it. Specialist equipment
can be bought or hired which some people find useful
such as boxes that emit sea waves sounds, and forest
birdsong or ‘white noise’ to mask the tinnitus. Pillows
which soothe at bedtime are also available to lull one off
to sleep when the tinnitus may be louder than ambient
house sounds.
TRAVERSE 88