Did you know that around 37.5 million adults have trouble with their hearing? There are various causes for hearing loss, including aging, genetics, and some illnesses.
Individuals can develop noise-induced hearing loss over time. If you’ve worked in a loud environment for many years, you might’ve noticed that your hearing levels have decreased.
This guide will discuss what noise-induced hearing loss is and some of its remedies.
What Is Noise-Induced Hearing Loss?
Occupational noise-induced hearing loss is caused when the structures of your inner ear have become damaged due to being exposed to loud noises in your work environment. They can get damaged when exposed to loud noises, such as heavy machinery, live music or gunshots.
Some factors affect whether or not noises will harm your hearing. They include:
- How long you’re exposed to the noise
- The pitch of the noise
- How loud the noise is
How loud the sound is and the time you’re exposed to it are connected. For example, you don’t have to be exposed to a very loud sound for very long to encounter hearing damage.
How Do I Know if I Have Noise-Induced Hearing Loss?
Some people fail to notice how loud noises affect their hearing because there aren’t a lot of symptoms. Losing your hearing often isn’t painful.
Some signs of noise-induced hearing loss include:
- Speech that sounds far away or muffled
- Feelings of fullness or pressure in the ears
- A ringing sound in quiet places
The symptoms might go away within a few minutes or days after a person is exposed to loud noises. Many people assume that since their symptoms disappear, their hearing has gone back to normal.
Even if you’re not experiencing symptoms, your inner ear could still be damaged. Your hearing will go back to normal if you have an adequate amount of healthy cells in your inner ear. However, you’ll encounter long-term hearing loss if you continue to expose yourself to loud noises without any hearing protection.
Remedies for Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
Unfortunately, there isn’t a cure for hearing loss. There are a few solutions for noise-induced hearing loss you can incorporate into your daily life to help prevent it from getting worse.
Some ways you can protect your inner ear from additional damage include:
- Avoiding repeated loud noises
- Keeping the volume low when you listen to music or watch TV
- Wearing earplugs when you are exposed to loud noises
Hearing aids can also improve your lifestyle if you have severe hearing loss. Hearing aids amplify the sound into your inner ear at a safe and audible level.
Assistive listening devices (ALDs) can help you overcome the effects of background noise, poor acoustics, and noises from a distance. You can often find ALDs in various public places, like meeting rooms and places of worship.
Hear More Clearly With AudioCardio
You don’t need to suffer when you have noise-induced hearing loss. With AudioCardio, you may improve your quality of life by strengthening and stimulating the cells inside your ears. Check out our pricing page to start a free trial for AudioCardio.
