Have you heard? October is National Protect Your Hearing Month (#NPYHM). Your ears are intricate organs that you must protect over your lifetime to keep them healthy and lessen the chance of the development of noise-induced hearing loss. Hearing Aids of Sarasota wants to offer you 10 Tips to safeguard your hearing.
Noise is all around us.
The world is a noisy place, and the way sounds are measured is in decibels (dB). Noises above 70 dB over a prolonged period can damage your hearing. Regular conversation averages around 60dB, while a whisper is at 30dB. In contrast, that firetruck that whizzed by you in traffic has sirens that sound between 110-129 dB, and when you came home and mowed the lawn, you exposed your ears to about 85 dB. Later that evening, when you joined friends to hear your favorite local band, their speakers could have pushed sounds exceeding 105 dB. At this level, hearing loss is possible in less than five minutes!
According to the National Institute for Occupational Health Safety and Health (NIOSH), in the United States, after high blood pressure and arthritis, hearing loss is the third most common chronic physical condition. However, noise-induced hearing loss is preventable, so here are 10 tips we’d like to share to help you protect your hearing.
- Get your hearing checked. You go to the dentist periodically to check the health of your teeth and gums, but have you thought of getting regular hearing tests? Make an appointment with Hearing Aids of Sarasota to get a baseline on your hearing health, as early identification and intervention for hearing loss is essential.
- Take periodic breaks from noise. For example, take a walk and leave the earbuds behind or give yourself intentional noise breaks throughout the day to give your ears a rest.
- Wear ear protection when doing daily activities like blowing leaves, edging, or mowing your lawn.
- Make hearing protection convenient. Keep earplugs stashed in your car and at your workplace for quick access.
- Sit away from sound-producing sources at sporting or music events.
- Download a decibel meter app to your smartphone. Then, you’ll know what’s too loud instead of relying on your best judgment. Some apps include Decibel Pro, Sound Meter, and Decibel X.
- Keep cotton swabs and other cleaning instruments out of the ear canal. To clean your ears, use a washcloth to clean the outside of the ear. If you have excess ear wax, your audiologist can safely remove it.
- Stay physically healthy. Making good lifestyle decisions like reducing stress, increasing movement, and eating well can positively affect your hearing health.
- Educate your kids or grandchildren on good hearing habits. Knowledge is power, and starting healthy hearing habits young, will help sustain a lifetime of optimal hearing.
- Stop smoking. Studies have shown hearing loss and smoking to be linked. It makes sense, as blood flow and oxygen help maintain healthy cells in the inner ear. Talk with your doctor about a smoking cessation plan to improve the quality of your hearing and your life.
At Hearing Aids of Sarasota, with two convenient locations in Sarasota and Longboat Key, we are here to help should you have any worries about your hearing health and how to best manage it. Contact us today for an appointment.
