Your Hearing IS Getting Worse
July 27th, 2014The other day, I was on the subway and noticed that there were many people listening to music on their headphones. Some were listening to music so loud that I could clearly hear their music 5 feet away. Its a scientific fact that when we are born, we have a set number of “hair cells” in the ear that vibrate at certain frequencies. Unfortunately, these hair cells do not regenerate. This is why everyone’s hearing will get worse as they age. Listening to loud music can destroy hair cells to the point of permanent damage. Did you ever go to a loud concert or dance club only to find your ears “ringing” the next morning? This is a sure sign that you have sustained damage to your hearing.
Here are some suggestions on how to preserve your hearing for the future:
- Set your electronic device or smartphone to a lower maximal volume. This is usually a feature in the “settings” of the device. This way, even if you increase the volume of the music program, you will be protected from dangerous sound waves. For the first week or so, you may be tempted to go back to the previous volume, but our ears can get used to the lower (safer) volume.
- Use earplugs when going to a place with loud noises. Anyone who mows the lawn or uses a leaf blower needs to use good quality ear protection (and don’t forget goggles for eye protection).
- Avoid standing near speakers during concerts or in clubs
- There are many apps for smartphones that can measure the volume of sounds around you and let you know when it is unsafe. Try them, it may make you want to replace products such as blenders or hair dryers for newer models that produce less noise.
- Limit the amount of speakers in your living room. We all have come to appreciate “surround sound”, but that can sometimes be too much of a good thing. Over time, we become accustomed to higher volumes. Try cutting back on the volumes.
