Firework season is officially here, and while setting off those colorful explosions is fun, it can also turn dangerous quickly.

For audiologists at The Hearing Place, the Fourth of July is one of the busiest times of the year.

Fireworks are an impulse noise, and if someone is too close, it can cause pressure, ringing, and hearing loss in your ears. Fireworks can get as loud as 150 decibels, which is the highest on the decibel scale.

Dr. Gary Harris explained how to tell if your ears are damaged.

"Usually you will get a tinnitus or noise in your ear. So you put a firecracker off too soon, it has impacted your ear," he said. "You'll get a ringing or pressure like something is not right with your ear. So you will notice if it's been too much."

Generally speaking, you want to to be 30 to 32 feet away from fireworks when they go off.

Dr. Bethany Porter explained the reasoning behind staying far away from the fireworks.

"Fireworks can get up to 150 dB. Up at the top of the decibel scale, they have fireworks listed under a threshold of pain. That's higher than hairdryer, helicopter, sirens. You're getting up into a dangerous range there," Porter said. "They kind of explain it as a ripple effect: you throw a stone in the water, your biggest ripples are in the beginning there and they die out as you go. The further away you get from that impulse noise, the better off you'll be."

Experts recommend having hearing protection, especially for young children, when near fireworks -- either ear muffs or plugs.

If you notice any hearing issues, contact a specialist right away.