Your ability to hear is precious – once you lose it, the chance of getting it back in its natural form is not likely. But for some reason, hearing loss tends to go neglected and unchecked in the general population. In the US alone, one in eight people over the age of 12 copes with neglected and permanent hearing loss.

Protecting your hearing from the beginning is the best and easiest way to prevent hearing loss, but if you already have hearing loss you can recover much of your hearing with a hearing aid.

Safeguard your hearing with these five tips:

Earbuds should be avoided

Earbuds have been packaged with mobile devices since the early 2000s and are one of the greatest threats to hearing. Nearly every smartphone available comes with a pair of these little devices that sit snugly in your ear and pump sound directly into your ear canal. You can get irreversible hearing damage by listening to music or a movie on your mobile device at full volume for only 15 minutes. The better choice would be to get a set of earmuff-style headphones that go over your ears, which is made even better if you can find a pair that has noise-canceling technology. Adhering to the 60/60 rule, which recommends a maximum volume of 60% for no more than 60 minutes per day, is another safety measure to protect your hearing.

Lower the volume

Your hearing can be harmed by other things besides earbuds. If you regularly listen to the TV or radio at loud volumes over prolonged periods, your hearing can also be damaged. Gun ranges, concerts, construction zone, and other loud settings should be avoided. Steering clear of 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 significant if you’re in this situation.

Utilize hearing protection

Hearing protection is a must if you work in a setting 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:

• Most concerts are between 100 and 120 decibels with headliners commonly playing for about an hour and 20 minutes
• Over a one hour visit to the indoor gun range, your ears are repeatedly exposed to gunfire that clocks in at over 150 decibels on average
• The noise of a construction site can be over 130 decibels and many workers spend 40 or more hours a week there

If you engage in any of these activities, you need to purchase a good set of earmuffs or earplugs.

Take auditory breaks

Sometimes giving your ears a break is the smartest thing you can do. If you engaged in any of the activities listed above, you really should make sure to take some quiet time to yourself so your ears can rest and recover, even if you were wearing hearing protection. That means, you definitely shouldn’t get into your car and begin blaring loud music right after you come out of a 3-hour concert.

Check your medicine

Your medicine may actually have a substantial effect on your hearing. Aspirin, anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, and certain heart and cancer medications have all been proven to cause hearing loss. The good news is that medication-associated 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 suffering from hearing loss and want to find new treatment? Make an appointment with us for a hearing test.

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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