Whether you have healthy ears, use hearing aids, or experience slight hearing loss, it is never too late to start protecting your hearing.

According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), a 2016 study found that 15% of American adults over 18 experience hearing difficulties, amounting to approximately 38 million people. In addition, 13% of Americans aged 12 and above have hearing loss in both ears. Despite approximately 28 million people in the United States who could benefit from hearing aids, the majority will never use them.

Although age is a primary factor in hearing loss, it has become a concern for people of all ages. Between the ages of 6 and 19, approximately five million children have experienced hearing loss due to exposure to loud noises. For example, these noises could come from loud toys, high-volume music through headphones, or other recreational activities such as hunting or riding snowmobiles.

Prevention

It is hard to imagine what hearing loss can do to a person when you don’t have any hearing problems. But even a small amount of hearing loss can have huge impacts on your life. Your self-confidence can decline, relationships can become strained, and career opportunities can be limited when it becomes difficult to hear.

In addition to your social life, hearing loss can also impact your safety. You may become numb to certain noises, such as car horns or smoke alarms. A common, yet preventable, type of hearing loss is known as noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Keep your hearing healthy by protecting your ears from excessive noise.

1. Protect your ears

We unintentionally put our ears at risk without protection from loud noises. For example, here are everyday activities that can affect your hearing:

1. Using a lawnmower
2. Going to a concert
3. Being near loud traffic
4. Lighting fireworks
5. Going to sports games
6. Using loud tools
7. Firing a gun
8. Listening to loud music directly in the ear
9. Being near a construction site
10. Riding a motorcycle or going snowmobiling

We measure sound in decibels, and any sound above 85 decibels can damage your hearing. All the sounds from the list above are 85 decibels or higher. If you’re unsure about the loudness of something, you can perform the “lawnmower test”. If the sound is just as loud or louder than a lawnmower, then it’s best to limit your exposure to said noise. Through easy-to-use apps, you can use your phone.

2. Give up smoking

Believe it or not, research says that smoking can increase hearing loss—another reason to quit smoking. Smoking can restrict oxygen to the body, disrupt blood circulation, and cause blood vessel constrictions. These events can prevent the body from repairing the injured hair cells in the ear, which in turn leads to hearing damage. The more you smoke, the greater the risk for damage, not only to your hearing but also to the hearing of the people you love most.

In 2011, a study by researchers at the NYU School of Medicine revealed that secondhand smoke can cause learning loss among teens and children. So, if you quit smoking, you’ll be protecting not only yourself but also your loved ones. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been doing something; it is never too late to quit.

The same thing happens with vaping. E-cigarettes that contain nicotine have similar effects on the ear’s hair cells as smoking. Not to mention the e-juices carry chemicals with unknown health risks, such as propylene glycol, which is linked to hearing loss.

3. Excessive drinking

We all know drinking can cause damage to your liver, but it can also damage your hearing. Some health experts believe alcohol may interfere with the brain’s ability to interpret sound, specifically with sounds that have lower frequencies. When people drink excessively, the central auditory cortex of the brain shrieks. In other words, the nerve responsible for processing sounds is involved in hearing.

4. Neglecting the care of your teeth

Believe it or not, but taking care of your teeth benefits your hearing. When you have healthy gums and teeth, your mouth does not contain the type of bacteria that produce swelling and infections. When entering the bloodstream, these oral bacterial strands can cause narrowing of the arteries and poor circulation, which is detrimental to healthy hearing.

5. Ignoring hearing loss

Many people go years before seeking help for hearing loss. This can be due to stubbornness, the negative stigma of wearing hearing aids, or simply brushing it off as not a big deal. Unfortunately, when your brain can’t recognize sounds it typically can hear, the risk of cognitive decline, for example, dementia, increases. That is why, if you or someone else notices hearing loss, it’s essential to see a doctor as soon as possible.

Know the signs

Knowing the signs of hearing loss means you are more likely to have your ears checked. It is essential to recognize the signs to get treatment as soon as possible. Some signs of hearing loss include:

1. Having trouble following a conversation, especially when two or more people are speaking at once
2. It is hard to hear when there are other noises in the back
3. Difficulty talking on the telephone
4. Mishearing can result in miscommunication and inappropriate responses.
5. People need to repeat their sentences
6. Having trouble listening to the TV at all volumes

Dr. Joe Griffith, with Accessible Hearing Aids, is a certified audiologist who addresses all types of hearing concerns and ensures you get the hearing help you deserve. Call today at (504) 738-4557 to schedule your appointment!