Once you damage your hearing, it’s gone forever! That’s why it’s important to educate yourself on causes of hearing impairment, importance of regular checkups, and what options are available in case you suffer from hearing impairment. It’s wise to start proper ear care before it’s too late. Here are a few ways of ensuring good hearing health and protecting your ears.
Use earplugs when you’re in loud environments
An estimated 20 percent of U.S. citizens suffer from noise-induced hearing impairment as a result of too much noise at work or while taking part in leisure activities. Dangerously loud noises include chainsaws, concerts, clubs, etc. Such noise forces you to shout in order to be heard by the next person.
For such situations, you can easily get ear plugs and have a local hearing healthcare provider custom fit them for you. If you’re a musician, you can get custom earplugs fitted with filters that let you hear both music and conversations and at the same time lower sounds to safe levels while retaining as much of the quality as possible.
Go for regular checkups
Ask your regular doctor to include hearing tests in your regular checkups. Hearing loss tends to develop gradually. It is therefore a good idea to consult the best hearing doctor New York City you can find at least once in a year. That would improve your chances of detecting hearing loss early and taking the necessary action to prevent it from worsening.
It is important to take action as soon as possible because, in addition to profoundly diminishing your quality of life and personal relationships, hearing loss has been linked with heart disease, dementia, and depression.
Keep the volume on headphones and earbuds low
The World Health Organization estimates that over one billion teenagers and young adults across the globe are at risk of developing noise-induced hearing impairment as a result of dangerous use of audio devices.
If you’re a fan of listening to music through earbuds or headphones, you can maintain proper hearing health by sticking to the 60/60 rule: listen to music with headphones for no more than 60 minutes a day at a volume of less than 60 percent. Earbuds are even more dangerous as they sit directly adjacent to your eardrum. You’re better off with over-the-ear headphones.
Keep in mind that all loud music, and not just music listened to on earbuds and headphones, puts you at risk of noise-induced hearing impairment. If you’re responsible for the music at a social gathering, maintain the volume of music at a level that doesn’t force people to shout at each other in order to be heard.
Give your ears ample recovery time
If you go out to a club or a concert in which you’re exposed to loud noises for extended periods of time, you need to give your ears enough time to recover from the auditory assault. Periodically step out of the venue for a few minutes to let your ears rest.
Bio:
Christi E. Langley is a practicing New York-based audiologist dedicated to improving the quality of life of her patients by providing medical services as well as writing articles on awide variety of ear-health related topics, such as best hearing doctor New York among other topics.
