5 Hearing Health Safety Tips for Spring Break

Spring Break is coming up! This is normally the time when college students from around the world flock to sunny locations. It’s always nice to get away from the classroom, but remember to take care of yourself and your hearing. Here are five ways you can preserve your hearing health during Spring Break:

1. Keep the volume down. Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is one of the main causes of hearing loss. It is also the only preventable form of hearing loss. Your risk of hearing loss can begin before you get to your destination if you listen to loud music during your drive or plane ride. Don’t blow your eardrums out by listening to excessively loud music with earbuds or earphones. You may want to block out the sound of crying babies, jet engines, and more, but keep the volume down, despite any temptation to do otherwise. Listening to loud music is the number one reason for hearing loss in young people. The World Health Organization predicts 1.1 billion people are at risk of hearing loss due to very loud music.
2. Don’t drink too much alcohol. The tiny hair cells (stereocilia) in your inner ear can be destroyed by excessive drinking. Stereocilia are responsible for transmitting sound to the brain. Excessive drinking and a loud environment are a bad combination, and doing so is a recipe for disaster and can lead to “cocktail deafness.” It may be temporary, but engaging in binge-drinking can result in permanent hearing loss. Refrain from drinking too much, and make sure you drink enough water. 
3. Have a supply of healthy food options. While eating out is fun and exciting, every meal can have extra calories that can slow you down. Pack some fruits and vegetables to snack on instead of overly sweet or salty foods.    
4. Get an adequate amount of sleep. Not only do your physical and mental health benefit from getting enough sleep but so does your hearing. The brain can’t function at its best when you are sleep deprived. Your central auditory processing ability can become diminished. Poor blood circulation and damage to your inner ear can occur even with just two nights of poor sleep. So take a nap, or get a good night’s sleep.
5. Wear hearing protection. Going to clubs, loud bars and concerts may be part of your plans for Spring Break. It’s important to be careful. You will be exposing yourself to dangerous levels of noise. Anything over 85 decibels is considered too loud, so your environment will probably exceed the maximum safe listening level. It is a good idea to protect your hearing by wearing earplugs. Just make sure they are properly fitted. They need to rest in your ears correctly, in order to seal off the dangerous noise levels.

Your decisions about this trip can impact your future health and well-being, which includes your hearing. These suggestions will allow you to have a great time without sacrificing your hearing. If you are experiencing hearing loss, please contact us at Pure Sound Hearing Aids for a free hearing test and consultation.

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