Your sense of hearing is essential in your life and when you lose it, there will be no natural way for it to return But for some reason, hearing loss frequently goes untreated and uncontrolled in the general population. In the US alone, one in eight individuals over the age of 12 copes with untreated and permanent hearing loss.
While there are treatments that can help you get some hearing back, like hearing aids, it’s such a simple thing to protect your ears from the beginning to prevent avoidable hearing loss.
Here are five simple ways that you can safeguard your hearing:
Don’t use earbuds
Earbuds have been a mobile device accessory since the early 2000s and are one of the greatest dangers to hearing. Almost every smartphone on the market comes with a pair of these little devices that fit snugly in your ear and pump sound directly into your ear canal. You can get permanent hearing damage by listening to music or a movie on your mobile device at full volume for only 15 minutes. Over the ear style headphones, especially the ones with noise canceling technology, would be a better choice. No matter what sound devices you use, you should follow the 60/60 rule – keep the volume at 60% maximum and only use the devices for 60 minutes per day.
Keep your volume down
Your hearing can be damaged by other things besides earbuds. Loud sounds from a TV or radio can do as much harm if you consistently listen to them over a sustained period of time. Gun ranges, concerts, construction zone, and other loud settings should be avoided. Avoiding these scenarios may only be possible in a perfect world, particularly if you’re a construction worker or a musician. The next item on the list will be important if you’re in this situation.
Hearing protection will be helpful
Hearing protection is a must if you work in an environment or enjoy hobbies that expose you to loud noises. 85 decibels over a period of 15 minutes is enough to cause hearing loss. Compare that to the following:
- The average firearm discharge clocks in at 149 decibels, which is multiplied and amplified over the course of a one hour trip to an indoor gun range
- The noise of a construction site can be over 130 decibels and many workers spend 40 or more hours every week there
- At most concerts the headlining band plays for up to two hours at well above 120 decibels
If you take part in any of these activities, you need to get a good set of earmuffs or earplugs.
Take auditory breaks
Sometimes you just need to give your ears a break. If you engaged in any of the activities listed above, you should make certain to take some quiet time to yourself so your ears can rest and recover, even if you were wearing hearing protection. So after you leave a concert, you most likely shouldn’t jump into your car and crank music.
Check your medicine
Your medicine may actually have a substantial effect on your hearing. There are some medications that have been proven to trigger hearing loss including certain heart and cancer medicines, aspirin, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory medication. The good news is that medication-related hearing loss isn’t common and is more likely if you use two or more of those medications at the same time making it easier to prevent.
Are you coping with hearing loss and want to seek out new treatment? Get in touch with us today to schedule a consultation.
Resources
https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hearing_loss/how_does_loud_noise_cause_hearing_loss.html
https://armeddefense.org/hearing-protection
