Did you know that there are about 15 million residents of the United States that suffer from hearing loss and haven?t sought help yet? Over the years, hearing loss has quickly become the second most common issue within our nation, almost doubling from 2000 to 2015. The only thing is, you can?t just point to one cause as the source of the problem. The National Institution on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) reports that about 15% of the population between 20 and 69 years old have a high frequency hearing loss resulting from noise at work or recreational activities.
So, what?s the solution? Hearing protection!
Not many people take this into consideration, but implementing a certain amount of hearing protection during our daily activities could greatly reduce the need for digital hearing aids in the future. Here are the top three simple hearing protection methods that can decrease your chances of developing tinnitus, also known as ringing ears:
- Wear Earplugs
The fun thing about this product is that it comes in a variety of colors, from neon orange to sky blue to plain white. Now, while they may look funny sticking out of your ears, the benefits can?t be beat. They have the ability to reduce sound by 15 to 35 decibels, protecting your ear drum from taking the brunt of the noise. - Turn Down The Volume
This might seem like a no-brainer, but sometimes it?s fun to rock out to one of your favorite songs at high volume. This is partially why one in five teens suffer from hearing loss and about 10% percent of the nation suffer from tinnitus. Save yourself from having to wear hearing aids later on in life and start turning the music down. - Give Yourself a Moment of Silence
Don?t you ever feel the need to just turn everything off and enjoy the quiet? It?s actually more beneficial to your hearing than you might realize. By giving your eardrums time to recuperate from all the noise you hear on a daily basis, you?re reducing the amount of long-term damage that could happen over time.
Take the time to be more aware of what your ears are dealing with and start to implement additional hearing protection methods throughout the day. Do you have any other tips for protecting your hearing? Share in the comments below!
More research here.
