hearing advice for the modern age

 
 
Hearing protection is vital to maintaining proper communication and personal safety.  Can you think driving your motorcar and not hearing a siren until it is right next to you?  Or not hearing your child shout out in pain?  A life without proper hearing can be awkward and sometimes dangerous.  Not to observe how the regular mortal will assume a person is less than sound before they will realize the problem lies with a hearing loss.

One of the major causes of hearing loss is attributed to listening to loud music for prolonged periods of time. There is nothing wrong with wnjoying your favourite rock band at high sound levels but in the long run it is advisible to try and listen to such sounds for small time periods.  Exposure to overly loud sounds for an long-term period of time can cause permanent nerve damage to the inner auricle.  The longer the exposure to loud sounds, the more apt there is to be a opportunity of hearing loss.

OSHA standards state that, to the unprotected ear, sustained exposure to noise over 85 decibels will cause gradual hearing loss in the majority of people.  The louder the noise, the faster this damage occurs.  To exemplify this further, the permitted exposure time goes down by one-half for each 5 decibels over the regular limit of 85 decibels.

Protecting the ear is fundamental to preventing sensorineural damage, more usually known as nerve damage.  Nerve impairment can be a punctilious hidden perpetrator when it comes to hearing loss.  The damage may be gentle and is often pain-free.  Usually, by the time a person notices their hearing loss problem it is too late to counterbalance it.

Lookout for the signals and be alert that they can be avoided with proper protection.  If you detect any of the symptoms below, get hold of a health care professional specializing in hearing to have your hearing tested.

Look for:
Ÿ finding it difficult to understand language; if you find you can hear some words but not make out all of them
Ÿ tinnitus (a ringing or buzzing in the ears right after being exposed to loud noises
Ÿ sounds being muffled and difficult to hear after departing a loud area

Hearing protection is just as important as wearing sports safety equipment.  Sure, you could play football without a helmet or padding, but your chances of getting hurt would certainly increase.  It makes common sense to wear the proper football gear just as wearing a bicycle safety helmet is now accepted because it has become a proven method of protection.  As we progress in our knowledge and technology, we have the ability to make the world as safer and more enjoyable environment.

Ear protection needs to be an everyday occurrence when you are going to be exposed to higher and louder than normal noise levels.  There are many types of hearing protection specifically designed for different circumstances.  Consult your audiologist to discover the best protection for you.



Leave a Reply.