Preventing Noise-induced hearing loss

Noise-induced hearing loss occurs as a result of too much exposure to loud noise. It only takes once for irreparable and lasting damage to be caused to hearing health. Hearing loss is caused because hair cells in the inner ear are damaged. Although there is no cure for noise-induced hearing loss, it can often be treated. However, the best course of action is to prevent it. So, how can noise-induced hearing loss be prevented?

Turn Down the Volume

Music and television are meant to be enjoyed but it’s important to be mindful of what can happen when you turn the volume up. Cinema mode can be great for getting an authentic cinema experience in your own home but it may be too loud. If you don’t need to turn it up, leave it as it is. If you are finding that you need to turn the volume up to hear speech, you may be experiencing symptoms of early hearing loss.

Hearing Protection Devices

If you know you’re going to be exposed to loud noises, it can help to get some hearing protection devices. For example, if you work somewhere with loud machinery, your employer should provide you with hearing protection adequate enough to withstand any noise while you’re working.

Similarly, devices like earplugs or noise-canceling headphones can protect your ears when you attend concerts or other loud events. Just a single loud noise nearby can have a detrimental effect on your hearing for the rest of your life.

Do You Have Noise-Induced Hearing Loss?

It can be difficult to tell if you have noise-induced hearing loss because it often happens slowly, over time. However, the symptoms will eventually become more recognizable. You may find yourself asking people around you to repeat themselves a lot.

This is a common symptom and suggests that some sounds are becoming more difficult to distinguish. Some people find high-pitch sounds, like ‘s’, hard to understand. Another common symptom is struggling to understand conversations in crowded rooms. Although you can hear the noise from within the room, you may not be able to hear what someone is saying to you.

Noise-induced hearing loss can also cause a ringing or buzzing in the ears. This is called tinnitus and can happen as a result of exposure to loud noise.

How is Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Treated?

The first thing you should do is schedule an appointment with your audiologist. Your audiologist will evaluate your hearing and ask you some questions. The most common treatment for hearing loss is a hearing aid. If your hearing is sensitive to certain sounds because of noise-induced hearing loss, your audiologist will take this into account and program your hearing aid using a computer. Thanks to advancing technology, hearing aids can be programmed to the specific needs of each patient.