Loud Restaurants May Endanger Your Hearing: How Patrons, Workers and Managers Can Play It Safe

Restaurant noise is a known nuisance. Zagat and Consumer Reports surveys have both named loud environments as the number one irritant for patrons. Many people choose their lunch or dinner destinations based on whether they can hear while dining out.

But loud restaurants aren't merely a bother -- they're bad for your hearing health. Fortunately, there are steps patrons, workers and especially managers can take to make dining establishments safer.

Noisy restaurants are more than a nuisance

While plenty of people are annoyed by the noise level at many restaurants, few know that it may be dangerous to their hearing.

"I would say most people probably truly just look at it as an irritant," says Matthew Gebing, an audiologist at HearUSA. "I don't know that they actually physically know how loud those environments truly can be."

As it turns out, the typical restaurant din can do more than drown out your conversation. One study by hearing aid manufacturer Oticon showed that many restaurants in major US cities regularly reach noise levels of over 100 decibels. For reference, normal conversation averages around 60 decibels.

Gebing cites the threshold of concern at 90 decibels -- about the noise level of a gas-powered lawnmower. Just two hours of exposure at that level can cause permanent hearing damage. Increase the noise level by only three decibels, and you cut your maximum exposure time in half, to just one hour. Very few diners are in and out within that timeframe.

"If you're somebody who's gonna go out to a louder restaurant, and you like to take your time at the restaurant, sit and have a conversation, or you're at a bar for a while with your friends, you're probably staying there quite a bit longer," Gebing says. "If you're at that 90-decibel level, you're definitely in the range of causing permanent damage to your hearing."

The hidden workplace hearing danger

An even greater concern for audiologists and physicians specializing in hearing health are the workers who spend long days and nights in these noisy dining establishments.

Over a full eight-hour workday, the threshold for permanent hearing damage drops to 85 decibels. Oticon's report shows that many restaurants hover around that volume over the course of a day, with sustained periods at much louder levels.

That puts many hospitality workers at risk of occupational hearing loss, a major workplace safety issue targeted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. For Gebing, raising awareness among restaurant and bar employees is a high priority.

Restaurant managers are the first line of defense

The goal of informing people is to help them proactively protect their hearing health. And that starts with the owners and managers at noisy restaurants.

That doesn't mean they need to start telling customers to pipe down. Ultimately, the racket at restaurants isn't about loud clientele -- it's a product of the environment.

Server in a loud restaurant — Maskot/Getty Images

"A lot of these restaurants don't have an environment suitable for conversations. So their acoustics aren't all that great," Gebing says. "They've got hardwood floors. They've got, you know, just seating arrangements that are too close together, and those things are definitely going to provide more difficult situations."

Gebing recommends owners and managers start with a simple reassessment. Could you spread out seating, add more booths or even put up curtains or other sound-absorbing materials around the space? Does the music really need to be that loud? Simple changes that shave a few decibels off the average level could go a long way toward protecting patrons' hearing.

How to protect your hearing at busy restaurants and bars

As a restaurant-goer, you can't always count on the establishment to watch out for your ears. And you may not be willing to forego your favorite spots just to find quieter locales.

So, what can you do to protect your ears in loud restaurants and bars?

Gebing has a few recommendations:

Request booth seating or a table in a quieter section. Dining outside can drastically reduce your risk level.
Try to time your outings to beat the lunch or dinner rush when the volume level tends to spike.
If you already have hearing damage, use hearing aids with directional microphones that block out the din without muffling your conversation.

For hospitality workers, especially, he recommends getting an initial hearing test. This will give you a baseline you can use to track your hearing health over time. From there, you can be more proactive to fend off any serious damage.

If you want to be proactive about taking care of your hearing health, you can wear earplugs in loud settings.

Loop Switch 2 Earplugs $60 at Loop

Making the dining experience safer for everyone

The frustration you've felt about the noise level at your favorite dining spots has been well justified. All that time you spend straining to hear your friends is more than a mere annoyance -- it puts your hearing at risk. And if you work in one of these establishments, you're in even greater danger.

The good news is that no one has to accept the status quo. Owners, managers, workers and patrons can all take steps to make dining experiences safer. Dampening the din by just a few decibels can help everyone hear more clearly -- over dinner and for years to come.