Our world can be a noisy place, but protecting your hearing is easy! Here are a few essential tips to keep in mind that can help protect your hearing and benefit your overall health:
Monitor entertainment volume
If you aren’t aware already, the National Institutes of Health have reported that the amount of noise it takes to begin causing hearing loss is 85 dBs. Whenever you’re playing your music device at full volume, it means you’re exposing your ears to levels exceeding 100 dBs. Be sure to keep track of how loud your music or television volume is at all times.
Fend off ambient noise
It’s impossible to have much control of how loud all the noises of everyday life can be. Whether it’s an ambulance flying by with its siren on or a jackhammer from a construction site that’s located right across the street from your home, harmful decibels are always all around us. But there are ways to continue protecting your ears. If you hear a train or cop car approaching, cover your ears when it’s about to go past you. This may not seem like much, but you will be substantially lowering the amount of decibel levels to which you are exposed. If your normal routine to work is constantly full of harmful sounds, consider having earplugs with you, which according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association can reduce noise by anywhere between 15 to 30 dBs.
Health tips
One of the more overlooked ways you can keep your hearing protected stems from the health choices you make. A major concern when it comes to hearing health is the use of cotton swabs in your ears. Cotton swabs are frequently used to remove earwax, but the truth is that a little earwax is essential for your health. According to the NYU Langone Medical Center, earwax serves several functions, ranging from being a natural antibiotic and lubricant, as well as defending your ear against foreign objects. If you push cotton swabs too far into your ear, you’re also increasing the risk of poking part of your middle or inner ear, which could result in serious hearing loss consequences. If you’re trying to keep your ears clean, all it really takes is washing the exterior of your ear with a cloth.
Doctor check ups
No one can provide you more answers about proper hearing health than a medical professional, and if you ever have any inclination that your hearing isn’t what it used to be, schedule a meeting with an audiologist to have a hearing test. Awareness of hearing health is the first step to maintaining and preserving your hearing ability.
Assistive listening devices
With all the wonderful varieties of technology that are available today, it’s no secret that there are plenty of devices and gadgets designed to help you hear better. Whether it is hearing aids, personal amplifiers or captioned telephones, you should never be hesitant when it comes to exploring all the innovative sources for protecting your hearing.
