But hooray! Listen up! Good news! NIHL is almost 100% preventable.
Everyone, even young people like us, needs to understand the hazards of noise overexposure, what activities are dangerous and ultimately how to practice good hearing health in everyday life. We need to be aware of hazardous noise and Practice Safe Sound to protect our hearing.
The Four Good Things:
- Turn down the volume
- Limit the exposure to loud noises
- Stand back from the source of noise
- Wear hearing protection.
Wear earplugs or other hearing protective devices when involved in a loud activity (special earplugs and earmuffs are available at hardware and sporting goods stores). It’s really important to protect the ears of children who are too young to protect their own.
If you suspect hearing loss, check with your doctor or visit an audiologist (a health professional trained to diagnose and measure hearing loss and who work with people to develop communication strategies to manage their hearing loss). Sometimes, people are referred to an otolaryngologist (a physician specializing in diseases of the ears, nose, throat, head, and neck).
