 The sound of someone whispering a secret, the music from a rock concert, or a car horn that beeps are all measured in decibels.
Decibels are a measurement of ratios between power, sound pressure, and voltage. Sound intensity is measured in Decibels Sound is the energy that moves in the form of waves. Frequencies and amplitude are measured. Frequencies are recorded in Hertz (Hz) and measure the number of vibrations in one second. Amplitudes, which are on the decibel (dB) scale, measure the pressure or forcefulness. If a sound has more amplitude, it will be louder. Decibels and Hearing Loss High decibel levels can immediately destroy or even slowly deteriorate your ability to hear. It can happen from just one quick exposure during a loud blast, or it can gradually occur over time due to daily noise exposures. This is known as noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), everyone exposed to loud noises is at risk of hearing loss. About 15 percent of Americans between 20 and 69 years of age experience hearing loss. This loss may have been induced by loud noise exposure while on the job or during recreational activities. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) survey from 2010 reported 16 percent of teens (ages 12-19) had some hearing loss that may have been caused by loud noise exposure. Researchers studied the effects of NIHL. According to the sound levels of our environment, strong recommendations have been established for safe listening. You may ask yourself, “How do I know if a noise is too loud?” Generally, if you need to speak up louder than your normal speaking voice when talking to someone close-by, it means your environment is too loud. Remember that the louder the sound is, the shorter amount of time it takes to deteriorate your ability to hear. Being repeatedly exposed, or prolonging the exposure (over 8 hours per day) to noise that exceeds 85 dB, can result in permanent hearing loss. Here are some examples of sounds that measure up to 85 dB:
The good news is that NIHL prevention is possible as long as you prepare. Be aware of your surroundings and make sure you always carry hearing protection (earplugs or earmuffs) if you plan to go to a concert, sports event (in a bar or arena), use power tools, ride a motorcycle or use lawn equipment. Under these circumstances, you risk exposure to noise levels that exceed 85 dB. We advise that you invest in proper hearing protection.
If you are unsure what type of hearing protection you should use, talk to a hearing healthcare provider. Decibels for the Hearing Loss World Anyone who has hearing loss should be aware of the decibel levels in their surroundings. Make sure that you reduce further hearing loss by protecting the hearing abilities that you still have. Untreated hearing loss - If you have mild hearing loss, preserve your residual hearing by wearing the proper hearing protection. Hearing loss that goes untreated can cause additional health problems like dementia, depression, and lower-income due to the inability to accurately accomplish tasks on the job. Take action in preserving your hearing. Get a hearing test and treatment before your hearing gets worse. Hearing aid wearers - Anyone who wears hearing aids should measure the decibel levels in their surroundings. Hearing aids can make sounds louder and clearer, whereas assistive listening devices make sounds louder. The hearing that you still have left has a chance of deteriorating due to NIHL. You may be tempted to switch off your devices because you think that you’ll protect yourself from hearing harmful noises, but that will not work. If the hearing aids are not securely fit to the ear canal, they will not filter out dangerous noise levels. If you switched-off your devices, this can stop you from hearing sounds that want or need to hear. These sounds can include concerts or emergency vehicles. It’s important to work with a hearing instrument specialist to find out what the best hearing protection would be useful in your activities and lifestyle. The proper hearing protection lets you wear your hearing aids and still hear important alarms in your environment to be safe. If you, or a loved one, are in need of a hearing test and consultation, please contact us at Pure Sound Hearing Aids. Please be aware that Pure Sound services will only be available by appointment and for essential visits at this time. Essential visits include all appointments that require new hearing aid fittings, repairs, and re-fittings. We ask that you wait in your car while wearing your mask and place your hearing aids in a clean zip lock bag. We will come to you to get them. If you are having any issues with your devices or need supplies for your hearing aids, please call us before visiting one of our offices.
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 Have you made your New Year’s resolution yet? Before you ring in the new year, consider these solutions for your hearing health.
1. Protect Your Hearing Health One out of three people living in the U.S. experience noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Damaged sensory cells (hair cells) located in the inner ear (cochlea), lead to NIHL. Exposure to loud noise causes permanent damage to the hair cells and they are eventually destroyed. Hair cells cannot regrow after they die. Noise can harm your hearing if it is too loud and if you are exposed to it for an extensive period of time. Here are three ways to protect your hearing health:
2. Stop Smoking Smokers are nearly two times more likely to experience hearing loss than non-smokers. If you are a non-smoker who lives with a smoker, you are also more likely to develop hearing loss. Smoking affects a person’s hearing when the nicotine and carbon monoxide found in cigarettes restrict the amount of blood flow, which prevents the circulation of oxygen to your inner ear. Insufficient blood flow could lead to lasting damage to your ear's sensory cells 3. Regular Exercise Your overall health is vital to healthy hearing. Engaging in regular exercises can reduce the risks of chronic illnesses and additional risks to your hearing. Anyone who is overweight is more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Those with diabetes are two times more likely to experience hearing loss. Being overweight makes the heart work harder to sufficiently circulate blood to the rest of the body. This includes the ears. High blood glucose levels can lead to damaged blood vessels in the inner ear. 4. Get a Hearing Test Getting a hearing test is the first step to identifying whether you have hearing loss. Just like any health concern, getting your hearing loss treated early can improve your overall quality of life. This includes:
 If you experience hearing loss, the remaining natural hearing abilities - also known as residual hearing - refers to how sufficiently you can hear without a hearing aid device. It’s very important to protect the hearing that you still have because that is all your hearing aids will work with, in order to give you an optimal listening experience.
The Importance of Residual Hearing Hearing aids are not a cure for hearing loss but are used to amplify and make sounds clearer to hear while drowning out background noises. You need to use your residual hearing to hear those sounds. Hearing aids are specifically programmed for your individual hearing needs. You may suffer from high-frequency hearing loss, low-frequency hearing loss, or sensorineural hearing loss. A hearing instrument specialist will patiently work with you so that you can get the most use out of your hearing aids. The more residual hearing abilities that you still have, means the more useful your hearing aids will be for you. This is why it’s important to protect residual hearing. How can You Protect Your Residual Hearing? Wear hearing aids to protect your residual hearing. Most people wait several years until they decide to get fitted for hearing aids. Even after receiving a fitting, some people still don’t wear them. Hearing aids are used to help you relearn sounds that you haven’t heard in years. They stimulate your auditory nerves and help your brain from feeling fatigued due to over-concentrating on sounds that you are struggling to comprehend. It is normal for new hearing aid users to go back to their hearing instrument specialists and get their hearing aids adjusted after a few times. It’s important to be honest with your hearing instrument specialist if something doesn’t feel right with your hearing aids. They will make the adjustments to make sure that the devices function properly for you. When the settings are programmed at their best, it’s important to use your hearing aids as often as possible. Try to wear them whenever you are awake. Remember that adapting to hearing aids takes time and patience. Choosing not to wear your hearing aids is a waste of time, money, and benefits that you’ve invested in. As a result, your hearing will get worse. Why Should You Wear Two Hearing Aids? Even though you may have different ranges of hearing loss in each ear, it is recommended that you wear two devices:
Decrease Your Exposure to Noise While wearing hearing aids, protect the hearing that you still have by reducing your exposure to loud noises. This will help to prevent noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Blaring noises can permanently damage your inner hair cells, and your hearing loss will get worse. When you are in your home, keep music, podcasts, and TV at a low volume. Use Bluetooth® technology to stream these sounds directly through your hearing aids, at a safe volume level. Remember, your hearing can be damaged from using power tools such as a lawnmower, power saw, or wood chipper. If you need to use these devices, always wear earplugs or earmuffs. Wear hearing protection if you go to a concert, sports arena, or even a movie theater. If you take medications, mention your hearing loss to your doctor. Some drugs can affect your hearing or induce tinnitus. Maintain a Healthy Diet and Exercise A diet that is full of vitamins and minerals, along with exercise, can induce blood flow to the entire body, including the inner ears, lessen the number of free radicals and stop or slow the loss of inner hair cells located inside the ears. Brain Stimulation and Function Learning something new, like an instrument or another subject matter that you are interested in can improve your hearing. According to researchers, practicing a musical instrument helps you concentrate on auditory skills, improves auditory memory, and increases the ability to hear speech in busy settings. But be careful not to engage in practicing music for too long. How we spend our time and stimulate our senses and way of thinking shapes the people we become - thus affecting how our senses function. If you, or a loved one, are experiencing hearing loss, don’t wait any longer to get help. Contact us at Pure Sound Hearing Aids for a free hearing test and consultation. Please be aware that Pure Sound services will only be available by appointment and for essential visits at this time. Essential visits include all appointments that require repairs, re-fittings, and new hearing aid fittings. If you are having any problems with your hearing aids, or need supplies for your hearing aids, please contact us before visiting one of our offices.  Just about every surfer has shared stories about the injuries they got while surfing gnarly waves. It may have been a head bunt with their board, a hand cut on a fin, or even a dislocated joint from a huge wave. While these are rare injuries, they do help paint a more interesting narrative.
Surfer’s Ear: How it happens and who can get it This blog has frequently discussed swimmer's ear, but there’s a syndrome of surfing that is more prevalent, yet rarely acknowledged. It could actually be more dangerous. This syndrome is known as surfer’s ear (exostosis). Surfer’s ear occurs when the ear(s) become(s) irritated from cold water. This normally happens as a result of long exposure to cold water. Surfers, old and young, can experience it. What happens is, over time, the ear canal becomes irritated and as a result bone will start to grow in that area. This causes the canal to become more and more narrow, which leads to hearing loss. Ultimately, the bone growth becomes very obvious because a person with this problem can experience complete hearing loss. The only treatment for this issue is cutting off or shaving the bone growth. This procedure would need a recovery period of six to eight weeks. Surfer’s ear doesn’t just lead to hearing loss, but the bone growths will trap water which leads to frequent infections. This leads to high risks for people who spend a lot of time in the water to surf. Wetsuits are providing surfers with the opportunity to go into the water almost year round, raising the risks for surfers of all ages. About one in three surfers experience this problem, and if left untreated it can lead to pain and severe hearing loss. Are there Treatments for Surfer’s Ear? The only real cure for surfer’s ear is surgery. It’s best to take preventative measures, like wearing earplugs, prior to going into the water. You can also try these Swedish company's earplugs that are specially designed for surfers. Sound waves can be heard, while the real waves stay out. If you, or a loved one, are experiencing hearing loss, for any reason, please contact us at Pure Sound Hearing Aids for a free hearing test and consultation. We offer a variety of hearing aid brands including HANSATON, Oticon, Phonak, ReSound, Rexton, Signia, Starkey, Unitron and Widex. Please be aware that Pure Sound services will only be available by appointment and for essential visits at this time. Essential visits include all appointments that require new hearing aid fittings, repairs and re-fittings. If you need a hearing aid repair, we ask that you please wait in your car, while wearing your mask, and place your hearing aids in a clean zip lock bag. We will come to your car to get them. If you are having any issues with your hearing aids, or need supplies for your hearing aids, please call us before visiting one of our offices.  Swimming or running through a sprinkler is a great way to spend a hot summer day. There’s a chance that all of the contact with water could raise the risk of water becoming trapped inside your ears. Some symptoms of water being trapped in your ears are sensations of fullness inside your ear canals, and/or feelings of water moving around in your ears. It can occur in just one or both ears.
If the water doesn’t drain out on its own, this could cause otitis externa, which is more commonly known as swimmer’s ear. The reason behind Water becoming Trapped inside the Ears There are several reasons why water can stay stuck inside of your ears. One reason is if a person has narrow ear canals. Another reason could be that there is something that is obstructing the ear canal, like too much earwax or a foreign substance. Some People are more likely to Experience this than Others Children and adults who spend a lot of their time in the water are at a higher risk than others. Water can get stuck in your ears anytime you submerge yourself in water. If you turn yourself upside down, for example during a flip or handstand, water can become trapped in your ears. 7 Tips to Remove Water from Your Ears
DO NOT insert any objects in your ear, like cotton swabs, hair pins, or other small objects. This can damage your ears. Are there Risks to having Water Trapped in Your Ears? In some cases there are risks to having water trapped in your ears. Everyone’s ears produce earwax (cerumen), which is waxy and water repellent. In most cases, water will gently fall out on its own. If it doesn’t, this can be a breeding ground for bacteria, which could cause swimmer’s ear. Bacteria thrive in a wet and humid environment, with an ear canal that is full of scratches and abrasions, or reacting to allergies and other skin diseases. What are Early Symptoms of Swimmer’s Ear? The following could be mild symptoms swimmer’s ear:
Contact your healthcare provider if you are experiencing any of the aforementioned symptoms, or if water has been trapped inside your ears for days or weeks. Preventative Measures Wear earplugs that are specially designed to use in water. They might be pricier than the average ear plugs that you get from the drugstore, but they can be customized to fit your ears and they are reusable and washable. Monitor the Health of Your Ears If you notice any changes in your hearing, keep a record of it and talk to a hearing healthcare provider. A hearing test can be conducted in order to determine whether or not you are experiencing hearing loss and how severe the loss is. Getting early treatment, with hearing aids or other listening devices, will help you keep the hearing abilities that you still have. Contact us at Pure Sound Hearing Aids for a free hearing test and consultation. Please be aware that Pure Sound services will only be available by appointment and for essential visits at this time. Essential visits include all appointments that require new hearing aid fittings, repairs and re-fittings. If you need a hearing aid repair, we ask that you please wait in your car, while wearing your mask, and place your hearing aids in a clean zip lock bag. We will come to your car to get them. If you are having any issues with your hearing aids, or need supplies for your hearing aids, please call us before visiting one of our offices.  Musicians, Protect Your Hearing
If you are a musician, your ears are needed to keep your instruments in tune and get inspired by your surroundings. Without the ability to hear, it would cause musicians to struggle with doing what they love. Your hearing abilities shift over time, especially if you play an instrument. About one in eight Americans - of any age - experiences some range of hearing loss, so it’s very important for musicians to properly protect their ears. Modern technology has significantly advanced earplugs. You no longer need to wear over-sized foam plugs, because today’s earplugs are more discreet. Here are Some of the Best Earplugs for Musicians that are Available Now:
If you, or a loved one, are experiencing hearing loss, contact us at Pure Sound Hearing Aids for a free hearing test and consultation. Please be aware that Pure Sound services will only be available by appointment and for essential visits at this time. Essential visits include all appointments that require repairs, re-fittings and new hearing aid fittings. If you are having any problems with your hearing aids, or need supplies for your hearing aids, please call us before visiting one of our offices. |
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