It's pretty obvious when a product makes a lot of noise. A rude awakening on a Saturday morning by a neighbor's leaf blower, lawn mower, or string or hedge trimmer is enough for most people to curse the inventors (and the users). Your neighbor may not care that he's bugging you, but he also may not realize the damage he's doing to his own hearing. 

If you're already in the market for a hearing aid, a recent story in Consumer Reports can help you navigate the marketplace.  Our investigation also looked closely at product-related noise and how to minimize your risk of hearing loss. 

Noise damage is a function not just of how loud a product is, but how long you're exposed to the noise. In our testing, we found models of leaf blowers, chain saws, string trimmers, lawn tractors, and even some hair dryers that crank out enough noise to cause concern if you're exposed to it repeatedly. Environments can be noisy too. The subway, sporting events, rock concerts, and even some movie theaters can easily exceed 100 decibels, loud enough to cause damage in just a few minutes if exposure is routine.

Noise damage is cumulative, so it's best to use hearing protection as much as you can, limit how long you're exposed to noise you can't avoid, and save your noise budget for things you really enjoy, like the occasional loud concert or sports event. Take care to wear ear plugs properly for the best protection. And be aware that when it comes to noise you want to hear, like your car stereo or MP3 player, you may not be the best judge of whether it's too loud, especially when there's a lot of background noise.