How to Prevent Hearing Loss

 

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

Do you want to protect yourself from hearing loss? There are many ways that you can do this, and it is important for all people of all ages to take the necessary steps to preserve their hearing. 

In this blog post, we will go over tips on how to protect yourself from hearing loss. 

Turn Down the Volume

If you’re listening to your iPod, stereo, or TV with earbuds and there is no one in the room but you, turn it way down!

If you are in a room with music and you have to yell, the sound is too loud!  Also if you find yourself shouting during a movie or speaking very loudly in your home, it’s too loud.

Ear Protection at Home

If you are vacuuming or blow-drying your hair, put on ear protection. When you are working with power saws and equipment that is loud, use hearing protection as well.

Sometimes loud noises come from someone mowing the lawn next to your window. If this is the case you should close the windows to protect your hearing!

Protect your ears when you are using tools that generate high-pitched noise like lawnmowers, leaf blowers, or power tools.

Protect Your Kids

Make sure your kids are wearing the right kind of ear protection when they go to a concert or other event that has loud music and noise. If you let them attend these events unprotected, it could seriously damage their hearing for life!

Let your kids know exactly why you are insisting on them wearing hearing protection. Keep them informed so they protect their hearing even without your prompting.

Wear Hearing Protection At Work

If you are working in a professional environment or at school where there is loud noise around, wear hearing protection. if you find yourself having difficulty understanding what people said because of the noise in the workplace then, it is too loud!

Sounds over 90dB can cause damage to your hearing. In the workplace, you may be exposed to sounds in this range from machinery or other noise sources. This includes your own voice when you use a phone or work in a loud environment. But if you stay aware of sounds in this range and take precautions, you can protect your hearing.

Stop Using Cotton Swabs In Your Ears

Cotton swabs can often push wax deeper into your ear canal, causing pain and even infection in severe cases.

Additionally, it is not recommended that you use Q-tips for anything other than removing excess dirt or wax from your outer ear canal.

Give Your Ears Some Rest After Loud Noises

Like your muscles, your ears need rest after being put to work. Most people recommend waiting at least 90 minutes before trying to listen to anything or watch TV. 

If you notice ringing, buzzing, or another symptom of temporary hearing loss after exposure to loud noise, you should wait 24 hours before listening to audio from a device like a phone or music player and avoid as much as possible any other potential sources of sound.

If you hear ringing or buzzing bear in mind that it is usually caused by damage to the inner ear or the auditory nerve that transmits sound data to the brain. Scientists are not sure what causes tinnitus, but it is often associated with hearing loss due to noise exposure (such as from loud power tools) and some medications. 

Resting your hearing may be all that is needed, if this doesn't work visit an audiologist. You can learn more about temporary hearing loss by reading informative articles about it.

Get Your Hearing Checked

It's also a good idea to get your hearing checked every year to make sure you're not suffering from hearing loss. The best way to do this is by visiting an audiologist and getting a hearing test. 

This will hopefully show how much damage has been done if you suspect that your hearing is damaged. It will also keep you up to date about the status of your hearing as you age. Since aging can cause hearing loss. 

Create a Healthy Hearing Plan

Taking care of your hearing is an important part of any health plan. Make sure that you turn the volume down when listening to music. Avoid loud noises whenever you can.

Make sure you use hearing protection if you work in a noisy environment and visit an audiologist if you are having trouble with your hearing.