As you get older, you start to care more about your health and take better care of yourself, but have you been neglecting your hearing? Here at The Hearing Center of Dublin ENT, we like to educate our customers and people living in our area about living in our area about aural health.
Turn down the volume
Prolonged exposure to loud noise is one of the biggest causes of hearing loss. You might be surprised at how easily your hearing can be damaged by noise, and how quickly it can happen. Eighty-five is the magic number – that’s how many decibels sounds need to be to potentially cause permanent damage to your hearing. At that level, the recommended exposure time is eight hours. That’s a long time, sure, but the time goes down quickly as the decibels go up. At 91 decibels (around the level of a power lawnmower), your ears can tolerate just two hours. When you get up to 100 decibels (the noise of an outboard motor or motorcycle), it’s just 15 minutes.
If you listen to music on a personal device with earphones, you might want to check the volume level. A good rule to go by is the 60:60 rule. Keep the volume at 60%, and only listen for 60 minutes a day.
If you’re planning to attend a music concert or sporting event, avoid damage to your hearing by taking ear plugs or some other noise defense. Those kinds of events can easily get over 110 decibels and can do real damage to your hearing.
Treat hearing loss to avoid it worsening
If you already have a slight hearing loss, our advice is to have it treated now, rather than ignoring it or waiting for it to get worse. Studies show that an untreated hearing loss can lead to isolation, depression, and there are even links to dementia. The world can be a frustrating and difficult place to live in if your hearing isn’t at its best.
By treating your hearing loss early, you could help to prevent it from getting worse. It’s a bit like the old “use it or lose it” maxim – when you can’t hear certain sounds, your brain stops listening for them. Your hearing nerve doesn’t function as well because it lacks stimulation, and it becomes harder for you to interpret speech. As it becomes harder to understand what people are saying, after a while you tend to give up trying, and that’s when the isolation can come in.
Hearing aids can work wonders
We understand that it can be hard to admit to having a hearing loss and the idea of getting a hearing aid is a daunting one. That’s why working with our Audiologist, Melissa Gay, is the best option. She will make you feel comfortable and talk you through the process of testing, and the best solutions for you. There are many different types of hearing aids available now, with some of them being practically invisible, so no one needs to know if you don’t want them to.
Visit an Audiologist
If you think you may have an early hearing loss, a visit to The Hearing Center of Dublin ENT, Georgia, is just what you need. Our Audiologist will look after you and make sure you get the best treatment. Call us at 478-272-8382 or request a callback.
