Truths You Need To Hear About Your Hearing
It’s one of the most common kinds of disability amongst adults, but it’s also one of those that is way less frequently talked about than it should be. In the US alone, it affects over 48 million people. 15% of all people over 18 report some hearing loss. While deafness is a type of hearing loss, it’s not the only one, and we should recognize that. But we should also recognize that all types of hearing loss can have significant impacts on your life. So, let’s bring a little more attention to what you should know about your hearing.
Hearing loss can sneak up on you
One of the problems with hearing loss is that it is rarely immediately noticeable. Instead, the symptoms can be fairly easy to miss. For instance, it’s not hard to simply attribute difficulty hearing someone speak to background noise or to their specific pronunciation. Similarly, another frequent symptom is that you have to turn the TV or speaker volume up to a level most would consider excessively loud, which can also be difficult to gauge for yourself.
If you haven’t had a hearing test yet, you should
Amongst the biggest mistakes you can make with hearing loss is thinking that it only affects those of a certain age. People who are 65 or over are at a greater risk of it, but that doesn’t mean that you’re completely safe, either. It’s recommended that every adult has a hearing test at least once in their life before the age where those checks become much more regular. You can read more about hearing tests, their purpose, and the process and consider arranging one with your local audiologist.
You could be endangering your hearing every day
There are a lot of factors that can lead to a risk of hearing loss, including genetics, injury, and other health conditions. But lifestyle factors can play a role, as well. In particular, the levels of noise that we are exposed to. All noise over 85 decibels are considered dangerous for your health, and the louder the noise or the longer the exposure, the greater the risk is. To put that in perspective, the average smartphone produces around 100 to 115 decibels at max volume when listening to them through headphones. Many of us may endanger our ears on a daily basis from that alone, but other things like lawnmowers, certain workplaces, traffic, and the like all play a factor. If you expose your ears to this kind of danger on a regular basis, then pay attention to the upcoming points about treatment and prevention.
Treating hearing loss
Regardless of whether you experience a mild level of hearing loss or it’s growing more severe, there is treatment available. Some people experiencing the mildest levels of hearing loss may not consider it necessary, but hearing aids are the most widely used and effective way to correct your hearing, which you can learn more about here. Either way, it’s important to arrange a hearing test with your audiologist to get a hearing exam and understand what your current situation is, at the very least. Of course, some hearing loss is caused by temporary issues. Those caused by earwax blockages can be reversed with a simple professional cleaning. If there’s swelling, it may be due to an infection that can be treated with antibiotics. If there are abnormalities of the ear bones or structure causing the loss, then surgery may be recommended.
There’s plenty you can do to protect your hearing
To ensure that your risk of hearing loss remains low, the most effective way to protect it is to be aware of the risk of excessive noise levels. There is hearing protection for a wide range of circumstances you should consider. For instance, earmuffs in workplaces like construction sites and industrial sectors are mandatory for your employer to provide. However, there are also things like custom-made earmolds, which can be useful for those with regular hobbies that could be a risk to their hearing. This can include fireworks, going to the shooting range, attending concerts, or working with power tools on your own DIY projects. Read more here about the different types of hearing protection worth checking out.
If you have any reason to suspect that you might have hearing loss, then you should see an audiologist as soon as you can. Even if you don’t suspect it, if you haven’t have a hearing test, then it may be time for one.
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