Wednesday, November 6, 2002

Your ears are dear

Hearing loss is an almost inevitable event unless one has a strong genetic disposition for healthy hearing or one has never been exposed to loud noise. This scenario is unlikely since the times we live in produce noise in many places we go and even at home what with hair dryers, vacuums, lawnmowers, leaf blowers, weed eaters, table saws, etc.

I generally tell my patients who already have some degree of hearing loss that their hearing acuity will continue to decrease over the years as they age. I strongly urge them to always wear proper earplugs (even inexpensive ones can do the job) any time it is safe to wear them. This, I believe firmly, will slow down the progression of loss due to the aging factor. Material like cotton does not protect the ears.

On many occasions I consult with hunters and shooters who are severely at risk of causing damage to their ears. For them I recommend earplugs in the ear in addition to noise reduction earmuffs. A gunshot can reach 167 dB sound pressure level, which will seriously damage hearing without good protection.

A loss of hearing is a terrible handicap that affects the person with the hearing loss and also their family members. It can lead to depression, loss of interest in social settings, anger, misunderstandings and even other physical health problems due to a reduced level of activity.

Get some earplugs. You can purchase them from large discount stores, drug stores and hearing centers. Again, even if you already have hearing loss, your hearing will worsen as you age but wearing proper ear protection can slow down the progression of loss in most cases. If your hearing is good, keep it that way as long as you can by protecting your auditory system.

Andrew Waits

Clinical audiologist

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