What Can You Do to Prevent Your Hearing Loss?

Protecting your hearing function can help to reduce the risk of subsequent hearing loss and hearing-related problems. Although it’s not possible to avoid all types of hearing loss, certain types of hearing loss and damage can be avoided by taking preventative measures. 

If you want to maintain your hearing function and reduce the risk of developing hearing loss, take a look at these important ways to prevent hearing loss.

Avoid loud noises

Being exposed to loud noises can have hearing problems and hearing loss. Loud noises can cause hearing issues in two ways. Firstly, exposure to a very loud, one-off noise can cause damage to the ear, resulting in hearing loss. Secondly, exposure to moderately loud noise over a significant period of time can cause hearing loss. 

Avoiding loud noises is the best way to prevent subsequent hearing loss from occurring. If this isn’t possible, be sure to wear appropriate hearing protection when you’re in noisy environments. In addition to this, using a decibel monitor will enable you to determine how loud the noise actually is and modify your preventative measures accordingly. 

Make your workplace safer

When people sustain hearing loss due to exposure to loud noise, it often occurs because of excessive noise in the workplace. If you work in a loud environment, such as on a construction site or in a bar, you may spend a lot of time listening to sound that’s excessively loud. Due to this, your employer should take steps to reduce the noise level whenever it’s possible to do so.

Furthermore, your employer should take steps to prevent people from developing hearing loss due to their work. By monitoring the noise and providing employees with effective hearing protection, work-related hearing problems can be significantly reduced. 

Consult a professional

Many people don’t see a hearing instrument specialist (HIS) until they experience some form of hearing loss or hearing-related symptoms. However, you don’t need to wait until you experience noticeable symptoms to consult a professional.

By having routine appointments with a hearing instrument specialist, you can have your hearing function assessed at regular intervals. In many cases, your hearing instrument specialist will be able to identify potential hearing problems before you experience symptoms. With regular consultations, you can ensure that any hearing issues are diagnosed quickly, which can reduce the risk of them worsening. 

Use headphones with care

An increasing number of people use headphones to listen to music, audiobooks and podcasts. Whether you use headphones at home or when you’re on the go, be careful to ensure you’re using them safely. 

If external noise is interrupting your enjoyment, switch to noise-canceling headphones. This will enable you to listen at a lower volume, regardless of any environmental noise, so that you do not have to turn your media up and risk harming your hearing. In addition to this, set limits on how high the volume can go on your devices. You should never use headphones when the volume is set to higher than 60% of the maximum, as this could cause damage to your hearing function. 

Listening to headphones for long periods of time can also be harmful. Try to minimize your use of headphones, if you can, and don’t use them for longer than an hour at a time. 

Protecting your hearing function

By avoiding excessively loud noise and using hearing protection when you need to, you can successfully reduce the risk of developing hearing loss. Of course, some types of hearing loss can’t be avoided, so you may find that you experience hearing issues even if you have taken care to protect your hearing function. 

When this happens, people are sometimes disappointed that they are experiencing hearing loss, even though they’ve taken care to try and avoid it. However, it’s likely that your vigilance has minimized the amount of hearing loss you’re experiencing, so it’s always worthwhile to protect your hearing function. 

If you do experience hearing loss, regular appointments with a hearing instrument specialist will ensure it is identified quickly. Once a diagnosis has been made, you will be able to access appropriate treatment and enhance your auditory experience. 

Many people wear hearing aids when they experience hearing loss, for example. When wearing your hearing aids, your hearing function will be improved. This can prevent you from sustaining further damage to your ears as you’ll be less likely to inadvertently expose yourself to loud noises. 

To find out more about preventing hearing loss, contact Nu-Life Hearing Centre now at (855) 867-7449.