Can Age-Related Hearing Loss be Prevented?
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What is age-related hearing loss?
Age-related hearing loss is loss of hearing that occurs gradually to most of us as we grow older. This type of hearing loss commonly affects older and elderly adults. Age-related hearing loss can make hearing doorbells, phone ringing, and smoke alarms challenging.
Due to difficulty and straining to understand conversations, one can opt to stay in isolation that leads to feeling lonely and depressed.
What cause age-related hearing loss?
The most common cause is the changes that arise in the inner ear as we age. It can also result from middle ear changes or complex changes along the nerve pathways from the ear to the brain.
Some medications and medical conditions can play a significant role too.
Can age-related hearing loss be prevented?
The best and most effective way to prevent age-related hearing loss is to protect your hearing.
- Avoid loud noises
Keep away from blaring noises and minimise noise exposure. Noise is loud enough to damage your hearing if it hurts your ears, you cannot hear what the individual next to you is saying, or you have ringing in your ears or muffled hearing afterwards.
- Keep the volume of earbuds and headsets at a safe level
If the person near you can hear the music you are listening to, your volume is too loud. Music volume on your earbud should be less than 60% of the maximum volume. Some gadgets have settings that help limit your volume. Use earphones or earbuds for a maximum of one hour, then take a break for five minutes before using them again.
- Quit smoking
- Get prompt care for health issues, including ear infections
- Wear earplugs or special fluid-filled ear muffs
- Get your hearing tested
Get a test if you are exposed to conditions that might cause hearing loss. The earlier a problem is detected, the earlier something is done. Also, consider getting regular checkups.
If you think you may be developing hearing loss, book an appointment to get your hearing tested. At Attune, we offer comprehensive hearing tests to diagnose your hearing loss. Visit our website or contact us for more information.
