Hearing Health
This page was made in collaboration with the George B. Carter Serteens Club of Hawaii, a non-profit organization comprised of gifted and talented teens across Hawaii.
Ears: those small, but significant, structures that allow us to listen to the world. Hearing is a gift that gives life more depth, yet it is often taken for granted. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to lose this ability. Approximately 48 million individuals in the U.S. suffer from some amount of hearing loss, including 17% of teenagers. Moreover, one in eight people (about 30 million people) ages twelve or older, have hearing loss in both their ears.
Even worse, hearing loss is impossible to fix, making it crucial to take the necessary measures to protect your hearing.
The Risks
According to researchers at John Hopkins Medicine, diminished hearing health is linked to a number of adverse health outcomes like social isolation and early-onset dementia. It is also linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hospitalization, chronic kidney disease, and depression.
Some common misconceptions regarding hearing health can be found here:
How to Protect Yourself
While some hearing loss may be genetic or part of getting older, there are ways we can prevent it from worsening further. Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) occurs when sensitive structures in our ears are damaged by loud noises. This can be easily avoided.
Avoid Loud Environments
While simple, the best advice is to just steer clear of loud places. Some common sources of potentially damaging sounds are: lawnmowers, snow mobiles, gunfire, power tools, fireworks, and music. A good rule of thumb to tell if a place is too loud is if you have to shout to talk to people an arm’s length away. If you do, you’re probably getting ear damage.
Sometimes, we can’t help getting exposed. If you are, take time in a quiet environment afterwards for at least a day to recover.
60:60 Rule
Sometimes just listening to music or watching TV on too high of a volume can cause hearing loss. The 60:60 rule says to only use 60% of the max volume for no more than 60 minutes a day. You should also take breaks from personal listening devices at least once an hour.
Use Hearing Protection
Using devices like earplugs, earmuffs, or noise canceling headphones in loud environments can greatly prevent hearing loss.
Say NO to Q-Tips
Despite what some people might say, it is NOT a good idea to stick things inside your ear. Q-tips are often used to clean earwax, but it’s more likely to push it further inside your ear, causing more damage than the earwax could have. Instead, clean your ears with a washcloth over your finger.
If you have a severe buildup of earwax that is affecting your hearing or daily life, contact a medical professional. Do not try to remove it yourself.
Take Precautions Against Injury
Many injuries like concussions also run the risk of damaging your ears. To avoid this, take care to wear a helmet or seatbelt when necessary and be safe overall.
Another specific danger occurs during scuba diving when someone goes up or down in water too quickly. Doing this causes otitic barotrauma: a pressure difference inside your ear. It can also occur during air travel. Being safe, smart, and taking precautions before attempting activities like these can keep your ears safe.
Have Good Health and Hygiene
Keeping your ears clean is an easy way to keep them working. Ear infections are incredibly painful and can be dangerous. Some ways to avoid them are:
Treating upper respiratory infections quickly
Not swimming in dirty water
Drying your ears after bathing
Plus, just being healthy and doing things like exercising can keep your ears functioning optimally.
Use Other Tools
There are also many other tools out there that can help you stay safe. Here are some:
Custom earphone molds
Devices with build-in safe listening features
Over-the-ear headphones
Smartphone apps that monitor sound exposure
This noise meter from the CDC Hearing Loss Infographic to check how loud different sounds are
Seek Professional Help
If ever your concerns towards your auditory health grow severe, you should always contact your provider or a medical professional. They know what they are doing and are the best qualified to provide you with any help you might need.
How to Help
There are many ways to support people who struggle with their hearing health. Hearing Charities of America (HCOA) is one verified organization that provides assistance through awareness, volunteerism, and philanthropy. You can visit their site here: https://hearingcharities.org/.
Celebrate Sound is HCOA’s national fund- and awareness-raising event. Through organized events and fundraisers, they are able to provide help to those who need it. To support this cause and learn more, you can visit their home page at https://hearingcharities.org/programs/celebrate-sound/.
