Top Reasons to Take Your Loved One to a Hearing Professional
If you’re noticing that your loved one is struggling to hear
10 Ways to Protect your Listening
We wear sunscreen to protect our skin, brush our teeth to keep them healthy and wear sunglasses to keep our eyes healthy from the sun. What about our ears? Ears are also highly susceptible to damage, if not taken care of properly. The key to keeping your hearing health is limiting the amount of loud sound you’re exposed to. The more often someone is in an overly loud environment, the more likely they are to experience hearing loss.
What causes hearing loss?
Hearing loss occurs when the tiny hair cells in the inner ear become damaged. Once they suffer damage, they cannot recover. When the damage occurs due to excess noise, the type of hearing loss one suffers is called noise-induced hearing loss. Individuals who work in noisy environments like construction, musicians and farmers are at an increased risk of having noise-induced hearing loss.
How loud is too loud?
Sound is comfortable at 60 decibels (dB). Once sound reaches about 85 decibels, it can start to cause damage. Examples of loudness include:
- Normal conversation: 60-65 (dB)
- Busy street: 75-85 dB
- Lawn mower: 85 dB
- Forklift truck: 90 dB
- Car horn: 110 dB
- Chainsaw: 115-120 dB
- Rock concert or ambulance siren: 120 dB
Tips to avoid noise-induced hearing loss
Consider these tips and tricks when you’re in an environment that could put you at risk for hearing loss:
- Use earplugs
- Turn down the music
- Use the 60:60 rule: When listening to music from your MP3 player or iPhone, keep the volume at 60 percent and listen for no more than 60 minutes.
- Wear headphones
- Turn down the dial: Check the dial on your television to keep volume comfortable.
- Check your work rules: Make sure your work place is following OSHA guidelines and regulations for your safety.
- Wear ear protectors: Wear protection when going into noisy environments
- Be careful in the car: Be wary of blasting the volume in the car.
- Go through a sound detox: Take a break from loud noises by taking a walk in nature or enjoying silence for a few hours.
- Call your audiologist.
When in doubt, talking with your audiologist about different types of ear protection and your options will provide you with the knowledge needed to make the right selection for your specific needs.
