As we age we tend to think that hearing loss only affects people of advanced age. The majority of us have had experience with older people attempting to understand words and phrases, or using hearing aids.
But just as 30 or 60 only seemed old to you up until it quickly approached, when you learn more regarding hearing loss, you come to understand that it has much less to do with aging and a lot more to do with something else entirely.
Feeling old is the number one reason why people can’t admit they have hearing loss.
Hearing Loss Is an “Any Age Dilemma”
By the age of 12, audiologists can already diagnose some hearing loss in 13% of cases. Needless to say, someone who is 12 years old is certainly not “old”. Teen hearing loss has gone up 33% in the past 3 decades.
What’s at work here?
Out of all 45 – 55-year olds, 2% already suffer from disabling hearing loss, and with 55 – 65-year-olds it’s 8%.
The challenge is not with aging. What you may consider age-related hearing loss is absolutely avoidable. Significantly decreasing your hearing loss is within reach.
Sensorineural hearing loss, which is the medical term for age-related hearing loss, is usually brought on by loud noise.
For a long time people have presumed that hearing loss was simply part of getting old. But nowadays, we are more knowledgeable about exactly how to protect your hearing and also restore it.
How Loud Noise Causes Hearing Loss
You must realize that loud noise is not harmless if you wish to begin to protect your hearing.
Waves of pressure are what makeup sound. Traveling down into your ear these waves go past your eardrum and into the inner ear.
Within the inner ear little hairs vibrate. Which hair cells vibrate, and how quickly or frequently they vibrate, become a neurological code. Your brain can render this code into crowd noise, traffic sounds, a car horn, a cry for help or whatever else you might hear.
The problem is at the time the inner ear is exposed to noises that are too loud, these hair cells vibrate too rapidly. The noise shakes them until they die.
Without them, you can’t hear.
Hearing Loss Triggered by Loud Sound is not Reversible
If you cut your body, the wound will heal. These little cells do not heal. When they are gone, they are gone forever. The more you’re subjected to loud sounds, the more tiny hair cells you lose.
Hearing loss advances as they die.
There are Sounds That are Common Which Will Cause Hearing Loss
This is a unexpected thing for most people to discover. It’s easy to discount:
- 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 factory or other loud profession
- Hunting
- Playing music in a band
These activities don’t need to be abandoned. Fortunately, you can take positive measures to lessen noise-related hearing loss.
You Don’t Have to Feel old Just Because you Have Hearing Loss
You can acknowledge that you’re suffering from hearing problems 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 significantly more common in people with untreated hearing loss.
How can you Stop Continued Hearing Damage?
Begin by learning exactly how to protect against hearing damage.
- Sound meter apps are readily available for your cellphone which can tell you how loud things actually are.
- Hazardous volumes should be avoided without the proper ear protection. Above 85 dB (decibels) will cause permanent hearing loss in only 8 hours. 110 dB takes around 15 minutes to cause permanent hearing loss. 120 dB and above causes instant hearing loss. A gunshot is around 140 to 170 dB.
- You should know that you have already caused hearing damage if you have had a hard time hearing, or if your ears were ringing, after a concert. As time goes by it will get worse.
- Wear earplugs or maybe sound-dampening earmuffs when necessary.
- Comply with work hearing safety restrictions.
- Reduce your exposure time to loud sounds.
- Refrain from standing near to loudspeakers or cranking speakers up when at home.
- Purchase earbuds/headphones that have integrated volume control. They never go higher 90 decibels. Most people would have to listen pretty much non-stop all day to cause permanent damage.
- High blood pressure, low blood oxygen, and several medications tend to cause you to be more vulnerable at lower volumes. To be sure, don’t ever listen to headphones at above 50%. Car speakers vary.
- Put on your hearing aid. Not wearing a hearing aid when you need them causes the brain to atrophy. It’s comparable to your leg muscles. If you stop walking, it gets much harder to walk.
Call a Hearing Expert for a Hearing Examination
Are you in denial or putting off on it? Stop it. The sooner you make the wise choice the less damage you will keep doing.
Have a talk with Your Hearing Specialist Concerning Hearing Answers
There are no “normal cures” for hearing impairment. If hearing loss is serious, it may be time to buy a hearing aid.
You Should way the Cost Compared to the Benefits of Getting Hearing Aids
Many sufferers are either in denial about hearing loss, or alternatively, they make the decision to “tough it out.” They think hearing aids make them appear old. Or they believe that they cost too much.
But as soon as they realize that hearing loss will get worse faster and can cause numerous health and relationship complications, it’s simple to be certain that the pros well outweigh the cons.
Consult a hearing care expert 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 may think!