5 Ways to Prevent Hearing Loss

The prospect of losing your hearing can be worrying. Although it may not be a life-threatening condition, we rely on our ears and hearing for maintaining connections and relationships with loved ones, as well as making our way through life. Hearing loss can just be part of getting older, meaning it cannot always be prevented. However, there are some things you can do to help prevent loud noises from damaging your hearing for good, regardless of your age.

Avoid Loud Sounds

As you would expect, the first tip for preventing hearing loss is to avoid loud noise. Just like you wouldn’t stare at the sun as you know it’s not good for your eyes, limiting the amount of loud noise around you is one of the simplest and wise things you can do for your ears. A noise is probably loud enough to hinder your hearing if you need to raise your voice when talking to others, or you have difficulty hearing what people nearby are saying.

Be Careful Listening to Music

Many of us love listening to music. Whether pop is your favourite genre, or you’re more of a rock fan, the level you play your tunes at can have a startling impact on your hearing. If you listen to music through headphones or earphones, unfortunately these are the biggest dangers to your hearing. It’s advised to purchase noise-cancelling headphones or earphones so that you don’t have to raise the volume to hear your music better. Make sure you have breaks when listening to music too. It’s wise to take five minutes every hour away from your tunes.

Be Cautious at Work

While there are some things you can manage yourself, if you work in a noisy environment, this cannot be helped. However, there are precautionary measures you can take to keep your hearing in check. If you handle and operate machinery, you must wear any hearing protection you are given. If you haven’t been given hearing protection, you must speak to your HR department.

Protect Your Hearing During Loud Events

Millions of us all over the country love to attend concerts, festivals, and sporting events. Inevitably, a stadium packed with thousands of people is going to generate a ton of noise. This means if you’re a frequent attendee, your hearing can be impacted over time. To prevent hearing loss, try and avoid being too close to the speakers, and consider wearing earplugs if need be.

Get Your Hearing Tested

While all the above can help in preventing hearing loss, to give you reassurance and peace of mind, it’s wise to contact an ear specialist to get checked over. For example, Mr Wale Olarinde of ENT Sheffield is an ear specialist in Sheffield who can carry out a hearing test for you. ENT Sheffield also deals with other problems like a perforated eardrum, discharging ears, and tinnitus.

If you have any concerns about your hearing and want to stop things from progressing further, all the suggestions above can help in retaining your hearing.