Noise-induced Hearing Loss: A Preventable Disorder

By Author: Franklin Mowshowitz
Total Articles: 7
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Twenty-eight million Americans suffer from some form of hearing loss. That's nearly one in 10. While there are many people in that group who have age-related complications, over 50% of these sufferers are actually under 65 years old. What's more, even as awareness of the delicacy of our hearing increases, the group of people losing their hearing is getting steadily younger and larger. The average age of a person with hearing loss is lower than it was 30 years ago.

This trend is primarily due to the increase in noise-induced hearing loss. Believe it or not, noise is the most common hazard in today's workplace, and it doesn't take much of it to do lasting damage. Working with power tools for over an hour or even being around a single thunderclap is enough to deal lasting damage. And since hearing loss is often gradual and painless, not sudden and noticeable, a person can regularly subject himself to dangerous levels of noise without even knowing it.

Because damage to your ears can be sneaky, you should be proactive in your defense of your hearing. A good rule of thumb is, if you have to raise your voice ...
... to be heard three feet away, you are in a hazardous noise environment. Obviously, if you can avoid all such situations, you're better off, but sometimes noise is unavoidable. When you find yourself in noisy circumstances, or are expecting to be in some, take precautions by wearing earplugs or earmuffs. Both are excellent options when used correctly. And while you may not look like the hippest guy on the block when you're rocking a pair of noise-canceling headphones at a concert, you'll thank yourself for it later. If you're afraid you might already have hearing loss, go to an otolaryngologist (commonly referred to an ear, nose, and throat doctor) and get a medical examination. It might seem excessive, but the earlier you can catch on to a potential problem, the better your quality of life will be.