As we age we tend to think that hearing loss only has an affect on people of advanced age. Almost all of us have had experience with older people trying to make out conversations, or utilizing hearing aids.
As you grow up, you begin to find out that there is a different cause of hearing loss in addition to aging.
Here is the one thing you should know: acknowledging that you have hearing loss doesn’t make you old.
It Doesn’t Matter how old you are, you can Still Have Hearing Loss
Even before we turn 13, audiologists already begin to diagnose some amount of hearing loss in 13% of instances. Clearly, a person who is 12 years old is not really “old”. Within 3 decades we have seen a 33% rise in teen hearing loss.
What are the key factors involved?
Of all 45 – 55-year olds, 2% currently suffer from disabling hearing loss, and with 55 – 65-year-olds it’s 8%.
It’s not an aging issue. It’s absolutely possible to stop, despite the fact that most people might think of it as an aging problem. And you have the ability to greatly minimize the development of your hearing loss.
Age-related hearing loss, recognized medically as sensorineural hearing loss, is most frequently triggered by loud noise.
For a long time people have thought that hearing loss was simply part of getting old. But thanks to modern science we understand much more concerning hearing loss prevention and even hearing regeneration.
The Reason why Loud Noise Causes Hearing loss
You should comprehend that noise is not harmless if you desire to begin to safeguard your ears.
Waves of pressure are what makeup sound. These waves go into your ear canal. They travel all the way down beyond your eardrum into your inner ear.
Tiny hair cells resonate here in the inner ear. Which hair cells vibrate, and how fast or frequently they vibrate, become a neurological code. Your brain can render this code into words, rushing water, a car horn, a yell or anything else you may hear.
The problem is when the inner ear is subjected to sounds that are too loud, these hair cells vibrate too quickly. The noise shakes them until they die.
When these hairs are gone then so is your hearing.
Hearing Loss Caused by Loud Noise is not Reversible
If you cut yourself, the wound heals. These little cells do not heal. When they die, they are gone permanently. Each and every time you are exposed to loud noise, a few more of these cells are lost for ever.
As they die, hearing loss advances.
Hearing Injury can be Caused by Everyday Noises
This is a surprising fact for most people to find out. You might not think twice about:
- Going to a concert/play/movie
- Wearing earbuds/head phones
- Turning the car stereo up too loud
- Mowing the lawn
- Using farm equipment
- Riding a motorcycle/snowmobile
- Driving on a busy highway with the windows or top down
- Working in a manufacturing plant or other loud industry
- Hunting
- Playing music in a band
These activities don’t need to be given up. Fortunately, you can take practical measures to reduce noise-induced hearing loss.
You Don’t Need to Feel old Just Because you Have Hearing Loss
You can accept that you’re suffering from loss of hearing without having to feel old. The longer you ignore it, the worse it’s going to get, and you will end up feeling older much sooner because of:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Dementia/Alzheimer’s
- Increased Fall Risk
- Social Isolation
- More frequent trips to the ER
- Strained relationships
These are all substantially more prevalent in people with untreated hearing loss.
Continued Hearing Loss can be Prevented
Understanding how to stop hearing loss is the first thing you should do.
- Discover how loud things truly are by getting a sound meter app on your cell phone.
- Learn about hazardous volumes. More than 85 dB (decibels) will cause irreversible hearing loss in 8 hours. 110 dB takes around 15 minutes to cause irreversible hearing loss. 120 dB and above will cause instant hearing loss. A gunshot is 140 to 170 dB.
- You should know that If you’ve ever had trouble hearing briefly after a concert, you already caused permanent damage to your hearing. It will get more obvious as time goes by.
- Wear earplugs or maybe sound-dampening earmuffs when necessary.
- Follow work hearing safety policies.
- Minimize your exposure time to loud sounds.
- Avoid standing near to loudspeakers or turning speakers up when at home.
- Get earbuds/headphones that have built-in volume control. These never go higher 90 decibels. Most people would have to listen practically non-stop all day to do irreversible damage.
- High blood pressure, low blood oxygen, and some medications tend to make you more vulnerable at lower volumes. To be sure, never listen to headphones at over 50%. Car speakers vary.
- Wear your hearing aid. Not using a hearing aid if you actually need them causes the brain to atrophy. It’s similar to your leg muscles. If you stop walking, it will be much harder to start walking again.
Make a Hearing Appointment
Are you procrastinating or are in denial? Make the right decision sooner than later. You need to be aware so that you can become proactive to decrease further damage.
Have a talk with Your Hearing Specialist Concerning Hearing Solutions
There are no “natural cures” for hearing damage. If you have extreme hearing loss, it’s time to get a hearing aid.
Do a Cost-Benefit Analysis of Hearing Aids
Many sufferers are either in denial about hearing loss, or alternatively, they choose to “tough it out.” They feel that hearing aids make them appear old. Or they think they cost too much.
But when they recognize that hearing loss will decline faster and can cause many health and personal issues, it’s easy to be certain that the pros far outweigh the cons.
Talk to a hearing care specialist now about getting a hearing test. And if hearing aids are recommended, don’t be afraid of “feeling old.” Hearing aids today are much sleeker and more advanced than you probably think!
