Hearing loss can be caused by a variety of different things that everyone can encounter in our lives; including listening to music too loudly, going to rock concerts or using loud machines at work. To make sure your hearing isn’t damaged by loud noises, we’ve put together a list of five tips that can help your hearing stay healthy.
Turn down the music
Especially young people can find it hard to believe that listening to music too loudly can do serious damage to their hearing. However, the threat is real. 12.5% of children aged 6 to 19 are estimated to suffer from noise-related hearing loss. People exposed to 85 decibels for eight hours are already at a great risk. That’s the sound experienced while sat in a car in city traffic. Turning your MP3-Player to full blast for an extended period of time can cause significant damage. The simple solution is to turn down the music.
Prepare for a concert
You don’t have to do without live music, but it’s a good idea to prepare properly to protect your hearing. For instance, make sure that you’re not situated right next to one of the amps as the music tends to be much louder there. You should also take quick “quiet” breaks every now and then to reduce the strain on your hearing. Earplugs are also a very useful tool to use at a gig because they can reduce the sound levels by 15 to 35 decibels without diminishing your enjoyment of the music.
Don’t turn up the sound of your TV too much
A TV is a constant source of noise so it’s easy to forget just how many loud sounds we expose ourselves to. If you have to raise your voice to be heard while the TV is on, then it’s definitely too loud. Regular hearing tests from hearing centres such as Hidden Hearing can ensure you’re not causing any damage to your ears while watching TV.
Use ear protection at work
If you’re working in a factory, at a construction site or at the airport, then you’re likely working in a “hazardous sound environment”. Many employers will provide you with noise-cancelling ear muffs. If you feel like your boss doesn’t do enough to protect your hearing, then talk to the HR department.
Let your ears recover
Every now and then we’re all exposed to loud noises. For instance, if you’ve spent two hours in a club with a noise level of 100 dB, then you’ll need approximately 16 hours of quiet time to reduce the risk of permanent damage.
You can do a lot to protect yourself from noise-induced hearing loss. However, it can also be caused by various illnesses. Make sure that you protect yourself from illnesses such as measles, mumps, rubella, whooping cough, meningitis, and syphilis as these are all known for being able to cause hearing loss.