If there’s a month-long recognition for something, you know it’s meaningful. National Protect Your Hearing Month is acknowledged at a national level every October. Hearing is an essential part of our daily lives.
Healthy hearing helps us maintain our physical health, cognitive health, emotional health, and overall quality of life. Having an easier time communicating with others, enjoying their company and laughter, listening to music, TV, your favorite podcast, or hearing sounds in nature improves each aspect of your life. Protecting your hearing with earplugs, being careful of loud and lengthy noise exposure, and practicing healthy physical and mental exercises can improve your hearing health. Hearing Protection and Noise-induced Hearing Loss The only type of preventable hearing loss is noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). It’s the second most common cause of hearing loss. The most common type of hearing loss is presbycusis (age-related hearing loss). NIHL occurs when loud noises impact the nerve endings in the inner ear, leading to damaged nerves. Temporary or permanent hearing damage may occur. The CDC estimates that about 40 million adults in the U.S. between the ages of 20-69 experience NIHL. One in four individuals who report good hearing has damage to their hearing. Earplugs (as mentioned above) can be customized or come in a standard shape and size. Earmuffs donned over the ears can protect hearing from noises that reach at least 70 decibels (dB). It just takes 70 dB to affect your hearing health. Here are some examples of noises that are about 70 dB:
How to Measure Noise Levels Using a decibel meter app to measure noise levels in places you frequent is a way to protect potential hearing loss and take proper preventive care. NIHL is permanent, so preventing possible exposure is vital to your hearing health. Regularly measuring noise levels in areas you frequent, like at home or in your work environment, can help you gauge what’s normal and what’s not normal. If you visit a sports arena or go to a concert, you’ll want to measure the noise levels as they tend to exceed the recommended limits. The 70-Decibel Limit Moderate noise is 70 dB since it’s under the 85 dB threshold that can damage a human’s ears. The 70-dB limit is also the upper limit that the EPA recommends during a 24-hour average noise level exposure. Hearing loss can occur from prolonged exposure to this noise level. If you hear noise levels that go beyond 70 dB for a short period, take a break from that noise by going to a quieter place for as long as you need. Your ears must recuperate from the noise exposure to prevent temporary or permanent harm. Average Noises and their Decibel Levels 20 dB - Rustling leaves 40 dB - Human whisper 60 dB - Normal conversation 85 dB - Heavy city traffic noises 90 dB - Hairdryer 100 dB - MP3 player at the highest volume 110 dB - A rock concert 120 dB - A plane getting ready to ascend during take-off 140 dB - Gunshots and fireworks If employees are regularly exposed to noises over 80-85 dB for 8 hours, employers must provide hearing protection to their workers. In public spaces, there are no clearly defined noise limits. The safest noise level in any setting is a maximum level of 70 dB for over 24 hours. Simple Solutions to Protect Hearing Avoid excessive noise exposure by avoiding loud environments, wearing earplugs/ear muffs, and keeping the volume within low or moderate ranges on personal devices. If you or a loved one experiences hearing loss, contact us at Pure Sound Hearing for a hearing test and consultation. Reverse-slope hearing loss, or low-frequency hearing loss, is a rare type of hearing loss. The name itself comes from how it looks when visualized through an audiogram - a standard chart used to measure levels of hearing when a person receives a hearing test. Anyone who experiences this type of hearing loss finds it harder to hear low-pitched sounds like the bass sounds in music, male voices, and thunder. Your ability, or inability, to pick up these sounds is contingent upon the range of hearing loss, which can be mild to profound.
The volume of speech sounds you can hear and interpret may be impacted. The ability to detect vowel sounds, which are lower-pitched than consonant sounds, can also be challenging. If you don’t wear hearing aids, ask others to speak up if you have trouble hearing low-pitched sounds. What are reverse-slope hearing loss symptoms?
What causes reverse-slope hearing loss? Reverse-slope hearing loss can be a genetic form of hearing loss, or a person may experience it after a childhood illness (chickenpox or measles) or a viral infection. Most cases also occur alongside autoimmune disorders, Ménière's disease, or otosclerosis. With Ménière's disease, troubles with hearing can change and progress into other types of hearing loss that impact how sounds come across in various pitches. A risk factor for heart disease is low-frequency hearing loss, but more research is needed to understand this connection. If you are experiencing any range of hearing loss and believe hearing aids can be a solution, please contact Pure Sound Hearing for a hearing test and consultation. Everyone knows that hearing aids help make sounds louder for people who have hearing loss, but that is where those similarities end. Hearing aids are unique and have different power levels, amplification abilities, sizes, smartphone compatibility, etc. The style, model, daily lifestyle, and hearing needs are also part of the conversation with your hearing aid provider.
Here are some questions that you might go over:
These questions will help your provider determine which hearing aids are best for you and how to program them for your listening needs. People’s voices will be easier to hear while drowning out background noises. A hearing instrument specialist will help you during your fitting and trial period. Some people with hearing loss wait years until they get help for their hearing loss - this can be due to not being aware that they are losing their hearing, financial reasons, or just plain stubbornness. When you first start with hearing aids, noises that you have not heard for a long time might come across as sounding very loud and annoying -- the clacking of a typewriter or the rushing sound of water. Hearing aids have become so advanced that users can hear speech sounds while blocking out or training their brains to ignore annoying background noises. If you or a loved one are experiencing hearing loss and need help choosing hearing aids, please contact us at Pure Sound Hearing for a complimentary hearing test and consultation with one of our hearing instrument specialists. |
Categories
All
|