5 Tips to Protect Your Hearing
World Hearing Day is an annual global advocacy event for raising awareness regarding hearing loss and promoting ear and hearing care, and calling for action to address hearing loss and related issues. Each year, this event is celebrated on 3 March, covering a specific theme on which the World Health Organization and its partners carry out activities based on this theme.
Do you know what cause hearing loss ?
There are two things that most commonly cause hearing loss: ageing and noise. Chances are that you won’t find the fountain of youth anytime soon, so there’s not much you can do about ageing (but when you do start to lose your hearing because of ageing, it’s a good idea to see a hearing care professional to improve your hearing). Noise, however – that’s where you can actually do something to avoid damaging your hearing.
Every day you’re exposed to sound that qualifies as noise – even if you don’t really notice it. At school or work, in traffic, mowing your lawn – or even hearing the neighbour’s dog barking – that could be noise. It all depends on the volume, but that’s not so easy to predict.
A normal conversation is at 60 dB on average. A jet plane at take-off can reach as high as 140 dB. The trouble is when the sound that’s too loud goes on for a long time or happens repeatedly for a long time.
So,there are 5 tips to protect our hearingfrom the noise or loud sound.
TIP 1-Turn the volume down
Long-term exposure to loud recreational sounds can damage the inner ear cells, causing hearing loss. Unfortunately, many people do not embrace this reality, especially the tweens, teens, and Millennials who are addicted to their music gadgets.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reveals that over 466 million people globally have hearing loss. What’s more alarming is that this figure is expected to rise to 900 million by 2050.
Now is time to turn the volume down and tune in to the dangers of hearing loss from music.
Typically, sound is measured in decibels (dBA). Sounds below 70 decibels (dBA) can be safe for hearing. However, repeated exposure to noises above 85 decibels can lead to hearing loss over time. The recommended dBA ratings for common sounds are:
60 – 70 decibels for normal conversations
80 – 100 decibels for lawnmowers
94 – 110 decibels for sports events
110 – 129 decibels for sirens from emergence motor vehicles
140 – 160 decibels for fireworks.TIP 2 - Walk away from the loud noise
tip 3-Take breaks from the noise
Most people don’t feel any warning signs (like pain or ringing in your ears) until their hearing is already damaged. And if you think your ears can just get used to the noise, think again. If loud noises don’t bother you as much as they used to, that means you’ve already lost some of your hearing. So how can you tell when a noise is hurting your hearing? If there’s so much noise around you that you need to talk extra loud when your friends are only a few feet away, it’s probably hurting your hearing. Time to bring out the earplugs — or go somewhere quieter!
TIP 4 - Use hearing protection
The best way to protect your hearing from noise is to avoid noisy activities. When you can’t avoid loud noise, use hearing protection. Hearing protection devices reduce the level of sound entering your ear. They do not block out sound completely. Hearing protection that does not fit properly will not protect your hearing.
The choice of hearing protection device depends on your personal preferences of comfort and where you will wear it. How well the protection works depends on whether you wear it consistently and correctly. The most common types of hearing protection devices include earplugs, earmuffs, and specially made devices.
The three types of hearing protectors are available:
Earplugs are inserted in the ear canal. They may be premolded (preformed), moldable, rolldown foam, push-to-fit, or custom molded. Disposable, reusable and custom earplugs are available.
Semi-insert earplugs which consist of two earplugs held over the ends of the ear canal by a rigid headband.
Earmuffs consist of sound-attenuating material and soft ear cushions that fit around the ear and hard outer cups. They are held together by a head band..Tip 5 - Wear hearing aids
Chances are that you won’t find the fountain of youth anytime soon, so there’s not much you can do about ageing.Bwhen you do start to lose your hearing because of ageing, it’s a good idea to see a hearing care professional to improve your hearing by hearing aids.
It is possible to obtain hearing protection that works alongside your hearing aids so that you can keep your hearing aids in whilst protecting your hearing. For example, some ear protectors will significantly reduce the level of noise coming from a piece of machinery, whilst covering a hearing aid. In this instance, by leaving your hearing aid in, when the machinery stops or is turned off, you should still be able to hear other noises around you, such as a colleague speaking to you.
Most people don’t feel any warning signs (like pain or ringing in your ears) until their hearing is already damaged. And if you think your ears can just get used to the noise, think again. If loud noises don’t bother you as much as they used to, that means you’ve already lost some of your hearing. So how can you tell when a noise is hurting your hearing? If there’s so much noise around you that you need to talk extra loud when your friends are only a few feet away, it’s probably hurting your hearing. Time to bring out the earplugs — or go somewhere quieter!
