Protect Your Ears and Maintain Your Hearing
The mp3 player such as the iPod has become a must have accessory, yet the side effects of such technology can be detrimental.
In 2009, the EU Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks said that listening to mp3 players at high volumes for long periods of time could cause a loss of hearing or tinnitus, a ringing sensation in the ears.
The committee found that 5-10% of listeners could have permanent loss of hearing if they listened to their mp3 player at high volumes for more than one hour a day each week for at least 5 years.
So protection of your ears is vital if you want to maintain long lasting hearing. The following are some tips you could follow to keep much of your hearing for as long as possible:
1. Avoid exposure to loud music: Too much loud noise can cause parts of the inner ear including the cochlea and hair cells to not function. This could lead to sounds not only sounding softer but also distorted, which can make it harder for the listener to distinguish different sounds. Consequently, interpretation of meaning can be affected.
If you are attending music concerts, loud sporting events or work in industries of high exposure to loud sounds, it is best to wear earplugs for protection. Also minimise the time listening to your mp3 player when possible. If you’re at home, you could replace it with low volume background music from a CD player.
2. Be aware of your nutrition: Ensuring a balanced diet with a variety of nutrients is important for a long and healthy life as well as protecting your ears. A lack of vitamin B12 can cause hearing loss. This is particularly important for vegetarians because they lack B12 which is found in animal sources such as milk products, eggs, lean meat and shellfish.
Vitamins A and E are also important because they provide the antioxidants to help regrow and heal the hair cells and inner ear. It is when your ears’ hair cells die that hearing loss becomes permanent.
3. Have your hearing tested: There are several signs of deteriorating hearing including difficulty to follow conversations, asking others to repeat themselves frequently or having to read lips to understand people. If you do have signs of hearing loss, do not ignore it and have it checked as soon as possible.
Find a hearing clinic near you and have your hearing tested by a health professional who will be able to help decide what are the best options for you, and whether you need a hearing implant or not.
Head online to learn more about hearing loss, the causes of hearing loss and the various resources and that are available for individuals that are hearing impaired.
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