Preserving Your Auditory Health

Hearing loss is a condition that cannot be undone in most cases. This is why it is important to protect your hearing while you still can. The ears are very delicate organs that can be easily damaged due to too much noise. This is why it is imperative that you engage in auditory protection to preserve your hearing.

Start off by purchasing a pair of ear plugs or ear muffs that you can use each time you expose yourself to any unsafe levels of sound. This includes attending rock concerts, sporting events, and even noisy household chores such as mowing the lawn, using the vacuum cleaner, or snow blowing.

You should be provided with auditory protective gear if you work in noisy environments such as mining, manufacturing, construction and other noisy industries.

Ear muffs and ear plugs come in different styles and capacities for auditory protection. In both ear muffs and ear plugs, those rated grade 1 are the weakest while those rated grade 5 are the most effective in protecting your hearing.

In ear plugs, foam ear plugs do not provide much protection, while customized ones provide you with the best protection and also lets you filter in important sounds (like speech) while eliminating unsafe background noises.

It is best to purchase customized ear plugs if you plan to expose yourself constantly to loud amounts of noise on a daily basis. If you only spend occasional time exposing yourself to loud noises, foam ear plugs may suffice since they are cost effective and disposable.

Always remember to keep the volume low each time you listen to music or watch television, as louder volumes can damage your hearing. Give your ears a rest and do not listen to anything in loud volumes for more than 60 minutes at a time. Have your hearing tested if you feel you might have hearing loss, since early diagnosis and treatment provide the most promising results.