As the years creep past you may notice the volume numbers on your television creeping up. You are not alone. The noisy modern world is wreaking havoc on our ears. As people are living longer, they are spending more of their lives suffering from hearing impairment.
But that does not mean we have to resign ourselves to this fate. There are steps you can take to prevent hearing loss and protect your hearing. Here are seven pieces of advice for safeguarding your ears and fending off the impacts of hearing loss.
Know Your Ear’s Limits
Identifying when a volume level has reached potentially damaging proportions is essential for protecting your hearing. Here is a handy chart outlining safe volume levels and exposure times.
Let Noise Levels Impact Your Purchasing Choices
When buying a dishwasher or television, few consumers consider the noise levels. Letting the noise levels influence your purchasing choices will allow you to prioritize your hearing.
Use Earplugs
When you are in loud environments, it pays to use ear plugs. Around 15% of American’s suffer permanent hearing damage from loud working and leisure environments. If you are working with heavy machinery, in a bar or club environment, or are exposed to loud noises on a daily basis, invest in a good pair of earplugs to avoid hearing loss in later life.
Turn Your Music Volume Down
A lot of people listen to music above the recommended 100dB limit, particularly younger music lovers. An estimated 1 billion children are at risk of future hearing loss due to unhealthy listening habits. Earphone users should not turn the volume beyond 50% of the devices capability to protect their hearing.
If you already find yourself using your headphones at 100% volume, you may already be suffering from the effects of hearing loss. Consider contacting your doctor or looking into hearing aids. Say goodbye to batteries with these rechargeable hearing aids for least intrusive, state of the art hearing aid technologies.
Embrace Recovery
If you have been exposed to loud noise for a prolonged period of time, like a music concert, you should give your ears ample time to recover. 16 hours of quiet time is a good start. To help the recovery process, on nights out, regularly step outside for breaks to give your ears some respite from the loud music.
Stop Using Cotton Buds to Clean Your Ears
A common misconception is that you need to use cotton buds to clean the inside of your ear. In fact, using cotton buds could be doing more damage than good.
Ears are self-cleaning. A small amount of wax is your bodies way of protecting itself. The dust stops dust and bacteria from entering the ear canal. Inserting a cotton swab thrusts outside bacteria deep into the ear and can damage your ear drum.
Don’t Ignore Hearing Loss
If you suspect you are suffering from hearing loss, don’t ignore it. Ignoring it can cause the hearing loss to advance quicker than it otherwise would. Consult your doctor and get a hearing test at the earliest opportunity and use medication or hearing aids as required.
