Did you know that approximately 48 million Americans have some degree of hearing loss?
Hearing loss of any severity can impact your life in numerous ways. For example, hearing loss could lead to you becoming more withdrawn socially, as you find it harder to keep up with conversations that are happening around you.
As a result, it’s important that you make an effort to protect (and therefore preserve) your hearing. Fortunately, there are many ways you can achieve this goal, such as:
- Visiting the audiologist.
- Be aware of the signs of hearing loss.
- Turning down the volume.
Visiting the audiologist.
It’s recommended that you visit an audiologist at least once a year or more often if you notice any changes in your hearing. In addition, to carry out a routine hearing test, your audiologist will also be able to check your ears for any signs of damage or abnormalities. This can help them to diagnose any conditions, or suggest treatments such as hearing aids. They can also provide you with further guidance on how you can protect your hearing.
On a similar note, it’s crucial that you take onboard all of the advice that your audiologist gives you. For example, if they suggest that you invest in some otc hearing aids, then you should make sure you start to wear them. While this may seem fairly obvious, only 16% of those who could benefit from hearing aids actually use them. This will lessen the severity of the symptoms you face moving forward.
Be aware of the signs of hearing loss.
While you may already be aware of the symptoms that signify that you need to see a doctor, many people are unaware of the right time to contact their audiologist.
As such, in order to take care of your hearing health, it’s important that you are aware of the signs that you are dealing with hearing loss. This includes:
- A ‘ringing’ sound in your ears
- Difficulty following conversation
- Needing to turn up the volume more often
- Sounds appear muffled or distant
- Increased sensitivity to loud noises
Turning down the volume.
Repeated exposure to loud noises can cause significant damage to your hearing. This is because “listening to loud noise for a long time can overwork hair cells in the ear, which can cause these cells to die.” As a result, it’s important that you set the volume on your TV, phone, and other devices to an acceptable level.
Furthermore, if you’re going to be spending a lot of time in noisy environments, you should invest in some form of ear protection. This could include headphones or earbuds – whatever you feel most comfortable wearing. This is particularly important for those whose work requires them to spend a lot of time around noise, such as on construction sites. If you do not currently have access to these materials, reach out to your employer directly. It is their responsibility to care for the health and wellbeing of their employees, and this kind of protective equipment falls into that duty.
