In the United States, approximately 48 million people suffer from hearing loss of varying degrees.
Chances are, you are exposed to noises that could damage your hearing more often than you realize. In fact, common sounds in urban life, like a subway approaching or a siren passing, reach dangerous levels that can damage your hearing.
Here are 6 tips to help you prevent hearing loss
Stay Away from Loud Noises
The first step in preventing hearing loss is avoiding loud noises. Some loud noises that have the potential to cause permanent hearing loss are:
- Live music or sporting events
- Power tools
- Sirens
- Nightclubs, fitness classes, or other loud music
- Firearms
- Movie theaters
- Motorcycles
You should limit exposure to instances like these to protect your hearing whenever possible.
Keep the Volume Low
You may not realize how much your daily listening activities contribute to hearing loss. You can improve hearing and minimize damage by keeping the volume low at home.
Try listening to music, watching TV, and even speaking with friends and family at a lower volume. You can also avoid crowded restaurants or large gatherings where there might be a lot of noise.
Reducing noise exposure at home is especially important if you are regularly exposed to loud noises at work.
Take Breaks
When in loud environments, it’s important to take breaks to avoid noise-induced hearing loss.
Take a break in a quiet location every 15 minutes. Allow your ears to rest and recover for 18 hours after a loud event before exposing them to loud noises.
Wear the Proper Protection
When you are around loud noises, you want to ensure that you are wearing proper protection.
Earplugs are a good choice in some scenarios when you want to lessen the noise without preventing you from hearing what’s going on. If you operate loud tools, earplugs can lower sounds by up to 30 decibels.
Quit Smoking
If you are a smoker, you are putting your hearing health at risk. Smokers are up to 60 times more likely than nonsmokers to experience hearing loss.
Unfortunately, you cannot reverse the hearing loss incurred while smoking. But you can prevent further damage by quitting smoking.
Test Your Hearing Regularly
If you are experiencing hearing loss symptoms, take a quick, easy test to determine if it’s time to seek medical help.
On average, people wait 7 years before seeking hearing loss treatment. However, the earlier you see a medical professional, the better you can minimize damage in the long term.
If you are at elevated risk for hearing loss, you should see an audiologist once a year to have your hearing tested.
Prevent Hearing Loss Once and For All
Luckily, you can prevent hearing loss. This guide provides six tips for protecting your hearing from live concerts and loud restaurants.
For more quick tips to help keep you healthy, check out the latest articles on our site.