Your sense of hearing is important in your life and when it’s gone, there will be no natural way for it to return But somehow, hearing loss frequently goes untreated and unchecked in the general population. In the US alone, one in eight individuals over the age of 12 suffer from neglected and irreversible hearing loss.
Protecting your hearing from the start is the best and simplest way to prevent hearing loss, but if you currently have hearing loss you can get much of your hearing back with a hearing aid.
Here are five easy ways that you can safeguard your hearing:
Earbuds should be avoided
Earbuds have been a mobile device accessory since the early 2000s and are one of the biggest dangers to hearing. These little devices sit snugly into the ear canal and pump sound directly into the inner ear and most smartphones included them. Listening to a movie or music on your mobile device at maximum volume for just 15 minutes can result in permanent hearing loss. The better option would be to buy a set of earmuff-style headphones that go over your ears, which is made even better if you can find a set that has noise-canceling technology. Sticking to the 60/60 rule, which suggests a maximum volume of 60% for no more than 60 minutes a day, is another safety measure to safeguard your hearing.
Lower the volume
Your hearing can be harmed by other things besides earbuds. If you routinely listen to the TV or radio at high volumes over prolonged periods, your hearing can also be damaged. Shooting ranges, concerts, construction zone, and other loud settings should be avoided. Steering clear of these situations may only be possible in a perfect world, especially if you’re a construction worker or a musician. The next item on the list will be significant if you’re in this situation.
Hearing protection will help
If you have hobbies or work in a noisy environment, it’s crucial that you utilize hearing protection. Hearing loss can happen in just 15 minutes at 85 decibels. Compare that to the following:
- Jackhammers at a construction site produce 130 decibels, which could cause significant harm after a 40-hour workweek
- Most concerts are between 100 and 120 decibels with headliners normally playing for around an hour and 20 minutes
- Over a one hour visit to the indoor shooting range, your ears are repeatedly subjected to gunfire that clocks in at over 150 decibels on average
The moral here is that you should get yourself some type of hearing protection such as earmuffs or earplugs if you take part in any of these activities.
Take auditory breaks
Sometimes you just need to give your ears a break. Even if you use hearing protection, if you are subjected to loud noises like these for prolonged periods, you should take some quiet breaks to give your ears a chance to rest. So after you leave a concert, you probably shouldn’t jump into your car and crank music.
Check your medicine
Your medicine could actually have a significant impact on your hearing. There are some medications that have been proven to cause hearing loss including some heart and cancer medicines, aspirin, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory medicine. Fortunately, medication associated hearing loss normally only happens when more than one of these medications are taken together making it far less common.
Looking to find treatment for your hearing loss? Schedule an appointment with us for a hearing assessment.
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Resources
https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hearing_loss/how_does_loud_noise_cause_hearing_loss.html
https://armeddefense.org/hearing-protection
https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/tf3092