What Can You Do to Prevent Your Hearing Loss?

It isn’t always possible to prevent hearing loss – it can happen as a natural part of aging, for example – but there are things you can do to minimize your chances of suffering hearing loss as a result of being exposed to loud noises.

In actual fact, there are several really simple things you can do to help prevent loud noises from causing hearing loss no matter how old or young you might be.

Stay away from loud noises

Of course, it isn’t always possible to keep away from loud noises, but when you can stay away from them, it is a really good idea to do so as any audiologist would tell you.

Okay, so what constitutes a noise that is loud enough to cause hearing loss?

Normally, a noise could contribute to hearing loss if it is:

• So loud you must raise your voice to be heard
• You find it impossible to hear what other people are saying to you
• You feel pain in your ears
• Your ears are ringing
• Your hearing is muffled once the noise abates
• It’s over 85dB

The sooner you can remove yourself from a situation where any of these issues are a problem, the better you will be able to protect your hearing now and in the future. So, it may be worth you investing in a smartphone app that is able to measure noise levels. That way, you can work out if it’s safe to be around any given noise and take steps to get away if you’re worried about it’s potential for hearing loss.

Be smart when listening to music

Listening to music via headphones and earphones is very common and very popular right now. Unfortunately, it is also one of the major causes of ear damage and hearing loss. That doesn’t mean you have to give up using headphones if you don’t want to, but it does mean that you should do so more intelligently.

To listen to music safely, you should:

• Use noise – canceling earphones instead of covering outside noises by turning the volume of your music up to the maximum
• Only turn the volume up so far that you can listen to your music comfortably
• Stick to a maximum volume of 60 percent – most modern devices allow you to limit the volume and will give you a warning should you try to turn your device up above this safe level.
• Take regular breaks. If you’ve been listening for an hour, stop and do something else for a few minutes before you start again

If you love to listen to your music a bit louder, you can always listen via speakers instead. Of course, you still need to be careful not to turn speakers up too high as this could negatively damage your health and lead to hearing loss too.

Protection your hearing at loud events

It’s sensible if you know you are going to be in an environment with lots of loud noise, such as a rock concert or sporting event, that you take measures to protect your hearing. 

You can protect your hearing at noisy events by:

• Staying away from loudspeakers
• Moving to a quieter place every hour or so
• Using earplugs or defenders
• Waiting 18 hours after exposure to loud noises before subjecting yourself to more high volumes

Reduce your exposure at work

When you see an audiologist about potential hearing loss, one of the first things they will enquire about is your line of work. This is because many working environments, such as factories and construction sites, are extremely loud and very conducive to hearing loss.

The good news is, there are things you can do to minimize your exposure to loud noises at work, and your HR department should be able to help you with this.

Things you can do at work include:

• Using less noisy equipment
• Wearing earmuffs or earplugs
• Limiting exposure by taking regular breaks

If your employer is not conducive to making these changes, remind them that they have a legal obligation to do so.

Have a hearing test

The sooner you have your hearing tested by a professional, the better. A good audiologist may, when caught early, be able to help you stop further loss and manage any symptoms you may have more effectively. 

If you think you may be experiencing hearing loss, get in touch with the experts at Davis Audiology by calling (864) 810-6238 today. We’re experts in hearing loss and we’re here to help you.