Because you can hear all your life, you probably rarely stop to notice that your ears never stop working. Even as you sleep, your ears are still doing their job, and that’s why at the sound of your phone’s alarm or when your baby cries, you wake up. Indeed, your hearing is one of those things that you are so used to that you hardly pause to think of its impact on your daily life.
You probably don’t know that hearing loss is actually the third on the list of common physical conditions in the US. What you need to know is that this condition doesn’t only affect the elderly or those who were born with it. Now, perhaps because of our dependence on gadgets and our frequent use of headphones and speakers, hearing loss has started to be experienced by younger generations – more than it ever has in the past three decades.
To help ensure that you won’t suffer from hearing loss, you should be aware of these three ways you may be unknowingly damaging your hearing, as shared by your trusted hearing clinic, Hear More Associates:
Commuting Daily
If you commute on a regular basis, you probably have already noticed people wearing their earbuds or headphones as they listen to music or watch something on their smartphones. Many do it because they want to cancel out the noise coming from the train or other public transportation vehicles. However, not only do most of these earbuds fail at canceling that noise, but they could cause damage themselves, too, especially when you crank up the volume of your music. If you regularly commute, it is recommended that you get headphones or earbuds with noise-canceling features to tune out the noise from vehicles and so you won’t need to turn up the volume of your device, either.
Working
Here’s the thing: not all occupations expose you to dangerous noise. Those who are working in a dental office, a preschool, an airfield, a train station, a nightclub, or the construction industry are definitely at a higher risk. How would you know if you’re at risk of damaging your hearing with the noise in your workplace? Anything higher than 80 decibels can cause strong vibrations that are hazardous to your inner ear. If at all possible, consider wearing earplugs that could soften the noise, but of course, you should consider how this will affect your safety or productivity, too.
Listening to Music and Other Media Excessively
Many people suffer from hearing problems these days because they spend hours on end using their earbuds and listening to music or binge-watching on streaming platforms. Sadly, the more convenient it has become to listen to music in private with the popularity of truly wireless earbuds, the more people forego advisories for safe listening.
In general, it is recommended to follow the 60-60 rule, which means you should only set the volume of your earbuds at 60% and listen for just 60 minutes straight, then take a few hours of break after.
Conclusion
Hearing problems often start gradually. You might even miss signs like not hearing some parts of the conversation of people around you, or you simply hear people mumbling, and you can’t make out the words. Perhaps you couldn’t hear clearly what your friends are saying when you’re out in public where there’s background noise. If you experience any of these, it’s time to start looking for the best hearing specialists to have your ears checked.
Hear More Associates is a trusted hearing clinic in Massachusetts where you can get your hearing tested to see if you’re experiencing hearing loss or other problems. Contact us today to set an appointment with our specialists!
