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Protecting Your Hearing



Protecting Your hearing

Exposure to excessive noise during work or leisure activities can increase a person's risk of hearing loss and contribute to worsening an already existing hearing problem. A continuous exposure of 85 decibels (dB) will begin to have a detrimental effect on your hearing. An example of this would be the noise of a street with constant heavy traffic. If the exposure to loud noise lasts for a long time, the cells responsible for our sense of hearing will be irreversibly damaged. Doctors consider exposure to loud music, such as a rock concert or via headphones, to be particularly dangerous since the sound intensity can sometimes reach 110 - 120 dB. The traumatic effect of a sudden loud sound such as an explosion can also permanently damage hearing.

Other activities that may cause hearing loss over time include: use of a personal radio/CD player/stereo at a high volume; use of firearms; operating heavy machinery; use of power tools. The good news is that the noise in these cases is usually easily managed by turning down the volume or by wearing ear protection. Federal regulations govern allowable noise levels in the workplace, as well as the employer's role in providing ear protection. More information on this subject can be found at www.osha.org. In addition to using ear protection, those who are regularly exposed to noise should have their hearing tested regularly.

Certain medications are toxic to the ear. If you have a hearing loss, be sure to inform your doctor of your condition before beginning any new medications. There may be instances where other medications which are not toxic to the ear can be substituted.

How loud is too loud?
A general rule of thumb is if you have to raise your voice to be heard over the music/noise, it is too loud. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Communicable Diseases, noises above 85 decibels can cause hearing damage.

Ear protection
Since there is no cure for noise-induced hearing loss, prevention is the sensible alternative. Modern devices which protect your hearing, from commercially available earplugs to custom-made earmolds with various filter systems, can give effective protection against noise.

If you are exposed to continuous noise in your leisure activities or at work, contact us for advice on the latest methods of hearing protection which would provide the most benefit and best suit your hearing needs.

Prevention of Hearing Loss

In our society, most people take seeing, hearing, and talking for granted. Unfortunately, the latest research is telling us that many who suffer from noise-induced hearing loss—from years of exposure to noise or even one incident—could have prevented it…if they’d only known to do so and how. Given what we know now, this epidemic does not need to continue!

As a wellness-oriented group of doctors of audiology and staff, the West Michigan Hearing Services is a full-service audiology practice dedicated to hearing health for the entire family. We provide a variety of prevention and rehabilitation services--from newborn hearing screenings to treatments for balance disorders and hearing loss…from state-of-the-art hearing aids and assistive technology to custom-fit hearing protectors.

Some Facts

Fact: According to research sited by the Deafness Research Foundation, at least 70% of what has been traditionally diagnosed as “age-related hearing loss” is, in fact, due to a lifetime of toxic noise exposure.

Fact: Hearing loss affects more than 30 million Americans and that number is rising every day.

Fact:According to the National Council on Aging, untreated hearing loss has been linked to increased susceptibility to numerous other health complications, such as arthritis, diabetes, hypertension, depressions, and anxiety, to name a few.

Fact: California researchers documented a 300% rise in the presence of permanent noise-induced hearing loss in second graders over a 10-year period, and a 500% increase among eighth graders. (At this rate, permanent high frequency hearing loss will be present in more than 90% of the eighth grade population by 2012!) What these statistics say to us all is simple: without any attempt to lower the effects of toxic noise exposure, it is projected that by 2030 virtually every American over the age of 50 will have enough permanent hearing loss to require hearing aids to communicate.

So, what can you do to prevent noise-induced hearing loss?

  • Increase your awareness of noise and avoid prolonged exposure to loud noise—anything above 80 decibels.
  • If you cannot avoid exposure to noise, wear appropriate hearing protection—available from a doctor of audiology.
  • Visit a doctor of audiology who offers a hearing-loss prevention program for yourself and your family.
  • Encourage your children or grandchildren to become noise-conscious—paying special attention to head-phone stereos and toys that make noises (and are often held close to a child’s head).