In today’s world, there are loud noises and deafening sounds happening all around us at all hours of the day and night. For many people, staying away or limiting these noises isn’t too difficult. But for others, exposure to extreme sound can eventually cause hearing loss and other damage to your ears.
Fortunately, technology has aided us with devices to hear better. People with hearing loss make use of good quality hearing aids (WonderEar, for example). But for those who haven’t been affected by this chronic physical condition, it is better to prevent and ensure that this doesn’t happen to you. So, here are three tips for protecting your ears from hearing loss due to exposure to loud noises.
Know The Risks From Your Job
Depending on the type of work you’re involved in, your career might be one of the places where you’re most exposed to loud noises and sounds that could eventually cause you to lose your hearing. According to Brian J. Fligor, a contributor to BetterHearing.org, people who work in factories or heavy industry, transportation, the military, construction, farming, mining, as police officers, firefighters, or musicians are often the most at risk for developing hearing loss as a consequence of their job. If you’re in any of the above-mentioned industries, or if you have a job that forces you to be around loud noises on a slightly consistent basis, make sure your employer is allowing you to take the proper care and precautions for your hearing.
Don’t Put Things In Your Ears
While there are some things that you can safely put in your ear, like earplugs, almost anything else that you put in your ears could cause damage that may result in you losing your hearing. According to Lindsey Banks, a contributor to EverydayHearing.com, putting foreign objects in your ears, even those that you think might otherwise be safe to remove, could open you up to risks of infection or injury. With too many ear infections or injury done to your ear, you could eventually lose your hearing.
Reduce Your Exposure To Loud Noises
To best keep your ears safe, you should try to take every precaution you can to reduce your exposure to loud noises. If you’re going to be going somewhere where the noises could be particularly loud, like a sporting event or concert, Consumer Reports recommends that you get ear plugs or noise-cancelling headphones to help you block out a large portion of that noise. And for those who listen to music, podcasts, or audiobooks with in-ear headphones, consider switching to another kind or at least reducing the volume as much as you can to help protect your ears from the harmful sounds.
When you start losing your hearing is when it’s too late to begin worrying about reversing the damage done. To help prevent future hearing loss, consider using the tips mentioned above to start implementing hearing protection today.