Overexposure to loud sounds can temporarily or even permanently damage your hearing, and in today’s world it’s all too possible to overwhelm your ears with noise. If you experience trouble following a conversation when there is background noise, tinnitus or a feeling that other people seem to mumble a lot, you may have developed hearing problems and should consult a doctor. Fortunately, before it gets to this point, there are steps you can take to guard your wellbeing against noise-induced hearing problems:
1. Use your time wisely: Sometimes, it’s just not possible to avoid activities that are really noisy, although often there is a way around it, or to lessen the volume. However, if you are in a situation where you do have to be around extreme noise, try to limit the amount of time you spend on those activities.
2. Do healthy head-banging: When you’re on your own in the house and feel like rocking out or skidding across the floor in your shirt and boxers a lá Jerry Maguire, you may be tempted to whack the speakers up to a Spinal Tap 11 (after all, it’s one louder than 10). Or maybe you’re driving along in your car by yourself or road-tripping it with friends, and feel the sudden urge to scream the lyrics of Living on a Prayer. All of these are very noble pursuits – or at least really fun ones – but you can still do all the crazy silly things you love to do to the sound of your radio without having the volume so high it bursts your eardrums. When listening to your music, keep the sound at an enjoyable but safe level.
3. Equip your ears: There are times when you have no control over your environmental wellness. Maybe the kids next door decide to rave it up when their parents go away, or perhaps the construction workers across the road insist on starting at 6am, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Whatever is putting you at risk for noise-induced hearing loss, you can at least guard your wellness against it by wearing hearing protection, like earplugs or earmuffs (in winter, I’d go for the muffs to save on the heating bill). As the protection device should be as well fitted as possible, you might want to seek the expertise of an audiologist.
4. Give yourself time to heal: If you just can’t avoid noise at work or during other activities, and you do experience temporary hearing loss or tinnitus, you need to take care of your ears. This means giving your ears a chance to recover fully by scheduling in some quiet time. If that’s not possible in your home or workplace, try to get out in your free time and find a nice beach spot or park – well away from traffic! If all else fails, there’s your local library, and you might find you enjoy the peace and want to make a habit of it.
5. Don’t give your kids any more ammunition: Protect your hearing, and your kids’, by making sure you don’t buy them toys that create crazy levels of sound. They may kick up a fuss over the noisiest playthings, but trust me, they can make plenty of noise on their own, and you’ll only regret it later. The ideal situation is to find a toy that has an on-off switch or a volume control feature, as this allows for noisy play and quiet time. Your children may hold toys closer to their ears than you would, so make sure you educate them about the importance of looking after their hearing.