Audiologist Advice on Hearing Loss Prevention
Audiologist Advice on Hearing Loss Prevention. An audiologist is a medical specialist trained to identify and manage hearing disorders as well as provide advice about ways to reduce hearing loss prevention.
Loud noises can damage your hearing in various ways. Some forms of exposure are sudden and short-term – like attending concerts or being near fireworks or gunshots – while other times exposure occurs over a longer time span, like working in noisy workplaces.
Get a Hearing Test
Hearing loss can often be avoided through regular hearing tests, the first step being getting one every year. Although most people get their eyes checked regularly, hearing tests often go ignored – this can be costly as early detection of hearing issues can make dealing with them easier and reverse damage more efficiently.
An audiogram can do more than simply detect hearing loss; it can also diagnose earwax blockage and sound-induced hearing damage that may be reversed with treatment. Furthermore, an audiogram may reveal any other health problems linked with hearing loss such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
An annual hearing test should be just as essential to our overall health and well-being as visiting your dentist or physician. Most adults visit both at least annually, yet far fewer make an appointment with an audiologist – which is unfortunate considering their expertise can detect potential signs of hearing loss early.
One of the most frequently performed hearing tests is known as an auditory brainstem response (ABR) test, which measures inner ear function with electrodes placed on your head, scalp or earlobes. An audiologist will then play clicking noises before measuring brainwave responses to determine your hearing status.
Speech reception ability tests are designed to assess a person’s ability to hear and comprehend speech at various volumes, in quiet or noisy environments, reading out a list of words at various volumes from an audiologist and then asking the patient to repeat them back.
Hearing testing can help protect against dementia, social isolation and confusion as well as treating hearing loss early to avoid other issues like depression or fatigue that could arise later.
Monitor the Volume of Your Devices
No matter if it be at work or an outdoor concert, noise-induced hearing loss is both permanent and preventable. Your audiologist may suggest wearing hearing protection or providing education about how to avoid this kind of loss; additionally you could protect your hearing by listening to music, movies, and TV at lower volumes than usual.
Sound level meters can help you keep an eye on the noise levels around you. These devices measure decibel levels to indicate when sounds become excessively loud. Smartphone compatible models even provide risk assessments on hearing health.
Many people do not recognize they are harming their ears until it is too late. Hearing loss can make speech comprehension more challenging and interfere with sleep quality; while tinnitus (ringing in the ears) may interfere with quality of life and social relationships by making communication harder between friends and family members.
Hearing loss is a natural part of aging or military service; however, these losses can be avoided through regular screenings, personal audio devices and noise-reducing headphones as well as other protective measures. Taking these steps will keep your hearing healthy as long as possible.
If you suffer from hearing loss, it’s essential that you visit an audiologist regularly. Also be wary of warning signs such as mumbling or difficulty understanding speech; also having to turn up the volume on TV or stereo systems or turning down their volume as it increases with hearing loss.
ASHA is engaged in several efforts to raise awareness of hearing loss prevention. For example, their “Listen to Your Buds” campaign offers student concerts featuring safe-listening practices. Furthermore, ASHA serves as an advisor for WHO Make Listening Safe campaign – an international initiative which educates people about the dangers associated with using personal audio devices at unsafe listening levels – one of the main causes of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).
Stay Away from Loud Noises
Screaming car alarms, screeching trains and planes rumbling overhead may annoy us all, but their noise can also have serious negative repercussions for our health. Prolonged exposure can result in hearing loss as well as other physical health problems.
Hearing loss is caused by damage to the sensitive hair cells found within your inner ear. These hair cells convert sound waves into electrical signals that your brain interprets; as more damage they sustain, so too will your hearing be reduced. You can avoid noise-induced hearing loss by avoiding loud environments and wearing protective ear plugs when necessary.
Loud noises can occur in various situations, from working at construction sites and road crews to attending concerts or nightclubs with headphones plugged into audio players. Most cases of hearing loss caused by loud noise can be prevented with appropriate precautionary measures.
Simply using a sound level meter can help you assess the noise around you and assess the risk for hearing loss. These devices are available at most hardware stores for less than $100 and some apps provide free sound level meters which display decibel levels to help determine your risk level.
Even without using a device to measure noise levels, it’s often easy to identify when something is too loud. Conversation should be possible at arms length away with someone standing close by; otherwise it may require shouting in order to be heard clearly – an indicator of too much volume.
Loud noises can increase blood pressure and cause cardiovascular issues, as they stimulate the amygdala in your brain, creating stress responses and raising cortisol levels; all contributing to atherosclerosis, diabetes, heart disease, psychiatric conditions and cancer risk.
Education of patients on how to avoid loud noises and seek healthy lifestyle habits is one of the best ways to help prevent hearing loss. Counseling on prevention also sends the message that you care about their hearing health and are committed to their overall wellness, thereby making it easier for them to accept treatment when required later on.
Get Your Ears Checked
Receiving regular hearing screenings is vital to maintaining good health; unfortunately, however, many don’t take this step until they notice issues. When detected early on, hearing loss can prevent social isolation and depression, potentially leading to other health concerns as well.
Aiming to protect your hearing requires both avoiding loud noises and using appropriate ear protection when needed. Wearing earplugs or earmuffs during concerts, sports events and work can significantly lower your risk of permanent damage to your ears – activity-specific earplugs are available at hardware and sporting goods stores.
Prevent hearing damage by keeping anything smaller than your elbow out of your ear canal, such as cotton swabs, bobby pins, paper clips and keys. Such items may create blockages in your earwax production which damages eardrums; to have this done professionally seek assistance.
Loud noises can damage hearing by causing hair cells in the inner ear to bend like tall grass in the wind, eventually dying and leading to permanent loss of hearing as well as tinnitus (ringing in the ears).
Regular screenings for ear health are vitally important as they enable you to detect changes in your hearing. At these exams, your healthcare provider will examine both outer parts and inside parts of the canal of both ears for any injuries or blemishes as well as testing pure tones to see how well you hear.
If you work in an extremely noisy environment, have a family history of hearing loss or are over 60, it is especially important that you get regular hearing tests. NYU Langone ear, nose and throat physicians can assist with planning hearing tests that fit best into your lifestyle; alternatively you can visit your primary care doctor and ask about hearing health.