How to Protect Your Hearing

Noise related hearing loss is by far the most common form of hearing loss. In fact, a recent study found that over 26 million Americans between the age of 20 and 69 have suffered permanent damage to their hearing as a result of exposure to excessively loud noise. When a noise is too loud, it can damage the tiny hair-like cells in your inner ear that vibrate, transmitting the sounds you hear to your brain. In today’s noisy and fast-paced society, it is surprisingly easy to expose yourself to excessive levels of noise without realizing it. It’s no wonder then that there are more young people suffering with permanent hearing damage now, than ever before. So, how do we best protect ourselves against noise-related hearing loss?

It may sound obvious, but the key to protecting your hearing health is learning to recognize when something is too loud. In the age of mp3 players, clubbing and impressive home entertainment systems, many of us simply fail to realize when we are exposed to noise that qualifies as “dangerously loud.” Here are a few tips to help you know how loud is too loud:

• Are you shouting over the TV? If you find you need to shout over the television in order to be heard by others in the room, it’s highly likely that the volume is loud enough to cause damage with prolonged periods of exposure.
• Can you have a conversation in the club? If you’re at a concert or in a nightclub, check to see if you can converse with somebody at a normal talking level, when they are around four feet from you. If you’re struggling to keep up, it’s time to take a break, or better still, get your hands on a set of earplugs!
• Do your ears ring? Tinnitus (high-pitched ringing in the ears) is a very bad sign and usually indicates some permanent damage to hearing, even when only experienced infrequently. Other signs that you may be experiencing hearing damage are muffled hearing and temporarily impaired hearing after exposure to excessive noise.
• Can other people hear music when you wear headphones? It is all too tempting to turn the volume up to max when listening to music through headphones. Many people would be surprised to know that the recommended ‘safe’ volume level is only around 60 percent of the maximum! If other people nearby can hear the music playing through your headphones while you are wearing them, it is definitely time to reduce the volume.
• Do you listen to music while driving? Listening to music in confined spaces actually increases the risk of damaging your hearing, so be careful not to have the volume up too high on your car stereo.

While hearing loss is a very prominent health issue facing adults today, it’s very preventable in many cases. Invest in proper ear protection and limit your exposure to loud noises. And most importantly, if you suspect you may have hearing loss, regardless how severe, schedule an appointment with a hearing healthcare provider in your area!