Most people take hearing for granted. They wake up to their alarm clock buzzing away. They go to the office and answer the ringing telephone and move out of the way of a car horn alerting them that they are in the way. But, what if suddenly you couldn’t hear these sounds? It would turn your world as you know it upside down.
Exposure to Dangerous Noise Levels
The ear can only handle sound levels of up to 85 decibels. Anything higher can cause hearing loss. You may think because you don’t work around loud machinery all day you aren’t at risk but, the truth is any loud noise, even once, can cause hearing loss. Pushing a lawn mower, listening to the television in surround sound, blasting loud music through a headset or even frequenting a concert hall can all damage your ability to hear at the normal range.
The Inner Ear
The inner ear also referred to as the cochlea contains many hair cells that if damaged are gone; they don’t regrow. Exposure to loud noise damages these hair cells causing a loss of hearing. The more you lose, the less you hear. Unfortunately, there is nothing a doctor can do to replace them. One of the first signs of hearing loss is a ringing noise in the ear, also referred to as tinnitus. While there is no remedy to restore hearing, you can click here to explore tinnitus relief options for varying levels.
Preventing Hearing Loss
There is no one way to preserve your hearing. Factors such as old age increase your chances and this condition affects one in three seniors. However, there are ways to protect your hearing with the obvious being to avoid loud noises. Throughout anyone’s lifetime that can be difficult, if not an impossible task to achieve. However, if you take a job in say construction or demolition, you know up front you will work around loud equipment and machinery. Before stepping one foot onto the job site make sure that you wear protective gear. A good set of ear plugs or ear muffs is the best option. If you enjoy going to the stock car races, cover up your ears. You can still see everything that’s going on and in the process, you’ll preserve your hearing.
Hearing and Its Importance
Sound is everywhere around you from the bird singing a song in early spring to the baby with its first cry upon arrival. Hearing sounds is a way of life. Without hearing sounds having a simple conversation is almost impossible and talking on the telephone is out of the question. Hearing keeps you safe, allows you to engage in conversation with family and friends and work on the job. Loss of hearing can affect you mentally. It can make you feel inferior or embarrassed and cause you to withdraw from partaking in activities with others. It can also affect your speech making your words formed in your head come out of your mouth unrecognizable to others.