We know to protect our skin with sunscreen when we go out into the sun and our feet with shoes when we walk out onto the street. These are just second-nature activities for us. Did you know that hearing protection is just as important and should be just as automatic as tennis shoes and sunscreen?
Many cases of hearing loss are actually preventative, and opportunities to protect our hearing are all around us. Even if you already experience some degree of hearing loss, it is never too late to protect the hearing you do have left. Adopt these 5 simple tips to help protect your hearing from permanent and irreversible hearing loss!
1.Get a hearing test.
Most people have never had a hearing assessment. However, whether or not you believe you may be experiencing some degree of hearing loss, a hearing exam is very important. With a baseline assessment, you and your hearing healthcare provider will have data to compare future results with. This way, you can monitor the progression of your hearing loss and take immediate action when it becomes necessary.
2. Wear hearing protection.
Life is noisy, and your ears need protection. Whether you work in a busy environment - such as kindergarten classroom or a warehouse - or enjoy loud activities such as cruising on the motorcycle or attending sporting events, it is extremely important to wear hearing protection. Custom hearing protection is ideal, because it is custom molded to fit perfectly in your ear canal. Custom hearing protection provides not only the highest degree of comfort, but also the best protection. If you cannot obtain custom hearing protection, disposable options will do the trick. You can easily pick up disposable ear plugs to bring with you to the concert or big game. They will lessen the noise level that is able to reach your ears, and will thus lessen your risk for noise induced hearing loss.
3. Balance your noisy activities with quiet ones.
Noise induced hearing loss is cumulative, meaning the more often you are exposed to loud noises the higher your risk becomes. The positive side of this is that any time you give your ears a break from noisy environments, you are helping to protect your hearing. If you like to frequent loud happy hour events and karaoke nights, try to balance these by adding more quiet activities into your routine. For example, you could stay home one night and read a book, take a hike, complete a puzzle, or go on a picnic.
4. Monitor your listening habits.
Personal listening devices are a major contributing factor for hearing loss, particularly for young people. Our smartphones have allowed us constant access to stream movies, music, and phone conversations directly into our ears. Try to limit the amount of time you spend on your personal listening device as much as possible. If you do decide to use personal listening devices, there are very easy ways to assess whether your volume is too loud. To see where you stand, set your volume to the level at which you normally listen and hold your earbuds or headphones out at an arm’s length distance. If you can hear your music from this distance, you are listening at a volume that could potentially harm your hearing.
5. Invest in custom molded earbuds.
If you spend a lot of time with earbuds in your ears, following the above steps are great, but custom molded earbuds will assist you even further. Just like custom hearing protection, custom earbuds will fit perfectly into your ear anatomy, which will allow for better noise cancellation of background noise, allowing you to fully enjoy your music the way you want to hear it, however, at a lower volume.
Reach out to our friendly team at Hart Hearing & Balance
If you have questions about hearing assessments, hearing protection, noise induced hearing loss or any other hearing related concern, we look forward to hearing from you. Reach out to our friendly team at Hart Hearing & Balance today to schedule your comprehensive hearing exam and discuss your unique situation with our dedicated staff. We look forward to an opportunity to walk with you on your journey to better hearing.