Prevention and Protection

What can I do to prevent hearing loss?

            Since 17 million Americans already have irreversible hearing loss from noise, it’s obvious that avoiding damaging noise is helpful. But while noise-induced hearing loss is 100 percent preventable, it’s not necessarily easy. A Personal Noise Dosimeter can help monitor the noise in your life.  Here are some tips from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.

1. Use hearing protectors (earplugs or earmuffs) when using loud devices, such as lawn mowers, leaf blowers and chain saws. Even the hair dryer has dangerous levels and can cause hearing loss over time.  Cotton balls offer no protection from loud noises.
   
   
2. Look for appliances with low noise ratings. The lower the “sone” number, the quieter the appliance.
   
   
3. Set your music, TV and video games to the lowest volume that can still be heard clearly.  Noise cancelling earbuds or headphone can help by cancelling out the background noise to allow you to keep the volume low and hear the music or TV.
   
   
4. Get regular hearing checkups.  These are usually FREE and can monitor your hearing loss or establish a baseline.
   
   
5. Always blow your nose gently and through both nostrils.
   
   
6. Always wear a helmet when you skate, bike or ski to lower the risk of injury to your head or ear.
   
   
7. Quit smoking - smokers have a higher risk of hearing loss.
   
   
8. Leave earwax alone. Cotton swabs can impact earwax. The ear canals are self-cleaning.
   
   
9. If you’re flying, yawn or swallow frequently when the plane is landing. If you’re sick (sinus infection, cold or flu), take a decongestant a few hours before landing. Use noise cancelling headsets to lower the noise level while flying.
   
   
10. Always wear a seatbelt to lower the risk of head or ear injury.
    
    
11. Make sure your workplace abides by the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s noise level limits.
    
    
12. Reduce your exposure to industrial chemicals, such as solvents.
    
    
13. Get children vaccinated. Diseases like rubella, measles and mumps can cause hearing loss.
    
    
14. Protect yourself from sexually transmissible diseases. Advanced cases of syphilis and AIDS can cause hearing loss.
    
    
15.  Learn the proper way to ascend and descend when SCUBA diving. Damage caused by changes in air pressure around the eardrum (called “otitic barotrauma”) can cause hearing loss.
    
    
16. Avoid swimming in dirty water.
    
    
17. Treat colds, flus and sinus infections promptly.
    
    
18. Speak to an allergist about preventative treatments.
    
    
19. Finish antibiotic treatments – even if you feel better.
    
    
20. Ask your pharmacist whether any of your prescriptions can cause hearing loss. It usually takes high doses of these drugs to cause damage but not always. Common ototoxic medicines that may damage the cochlea include:

- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as naproxen and ibuprofen

- Loop dieuretics, such as Lasix, Edecrin and Bumex

- Medicines used to treat cancer.

              - Large daily doses of aspirin (8 to 12 pills)

              - Antibiotics – especially in people who already have hearing loss or kidney disease.

 USE A PERSONAL DOSIMETER TO MONITOR THE NOISE IN YOUR LIFE!