Monthly Archives: October 2018

Hearing Loss: Swedish study finds improved hearing in older adults

October 22, 2018

Swedish study finds improved hearing in older adults, but hearing loss is still a worldwide issue.

Have the Swedish figured out the secret to preventing hearing loss?

Older adults in Sweden are hearing better than they were more than four decades ago, according to a May 2018 study published in Age and Ageing. The H70 study, part of a large-scale investigation initiated in the 1970s designed to study the medical and social effects of aging, found that hearing among 70-year-old residents of Gothenburg, Sweden had improved significantly in the last 45 years — especially among its men.

The comparison study tested hearing acuity in approximately 1,135 residents of Gothenburg born in 1944. When comparing the results to three previous studies of residents born in 1901, 1906 and 1922, the prevalence of hearing loss declined from 53 to 28% for men and 37 to 23% for women.

Hearing conservation

While Swedish researchers don’t know why hearing has improved in this population, they speculate the decrease among the male participants may be due to a reduction in occupational noise exposure. Most age-related hearing loss, also known as presbycusis, is thought to be due to a lifetime exposure to a noisy environment.

Men, especially those in this age group, have traditionally worked in occupations where noise levels exceeded current acceptable limits, such as in the mechanical and engineering industries. Hearing conservation programs were introduced in Sweden in the 1970s; however, the study’s authors caution further research is needed to determine possible reasons for this improvement.

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL)

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is the most common form of sensorineural hearing loss — and also the most preventable. Permanent damage to your hearing can occur when you’re exposed to noise levels over 85 decibels (dB) for an extended period of time or from a one-time exposure to a loud noise such as an explosion or gunshot. Hearing conservation can begin at any age, so follow these tips to reduce your risk from developing additional hearing loss due to NIHL:

If you’re still in the workplace and noise is a constant in your environment, talk to your supervisor about ways to decrease noise levels.
Keep the volume turned down on personal electronic devices, especially those you listen to through a headset or earphones. That goes for the volume on the television or car radio, too.
If you enjoy a hobby, such as car racing, music, or hunting, purchase the appropriate hearing protection and wear it. Insist that others in your family who enjoy similar noisy pastimes do the same.
If you know you’ll be attending an event where there will be lots of noise — such as a sporting event, parade, or fireworks celebration — invest in noise-canceling headphones or purchase inexpensive foam earplugs from the local drugstore.

Preventing Hearing Loss

While the results of this study provide a glimmer of hope, bear in mind that unlike the study population in Sweden, the prevalence of hearing loss in the United States is on the rise.

Hearing loss doesn’t discriminate based on age as it affects younger Americans than ever before. What this study does offer is even more evidence that hearing loss is not inevitable. The best treatment for many is prevention. Learn how to prevent hearing loss.

Keeping your hearing as healthy as possible begins by scheduling an appointment with a hearing healthcare professional for a baseline hearing evaluation. Results from this exam will be used to monitor your hearing health annually so that you can address any issues which may arise sooner rather than later. To find a hearing healthcare professional in your community, search our online directory of hearing centers.

Contributed by Debbie Clason, staff writer, Healthy Hearing
August 8, 2018

Noise pollution is worse than ever – here is how you can avoid it damaging your health

October 15, 2018

Noise pollution is a very real threat to your overall health – and it’s getting worse, according to a new report from the World Health Organisation.

The publication, released today, aim to tackle the serious implications noise pollution can have for one in five of us in Europe.

“Noise pollution in our towns and cities is increasing, blighting the lives of many European citizens,” said Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, the WHO’s regional director for Europe. More than a nuisance, excessive noise is a health risk.”

Exposure to excessive noise can lead to a number of conditions, cognitive impairment in children, sleep disturbance, cardiovascular disease and tinnitus and annoyance, the report explains. Here’s how you can reduce your own exposure to noise, based on NHS guidelines for hearing:

1. Avoid loud noises

“The best way to avoid noise-induced hearing loss is to keep away from loud noise as much as you can,” the website advises.A quick test is, if you have to raise your voice to talk to others, it’s probably too loud. Ditto if your ears hurt, or if you have ringing in your ears afterwards.

2. Take care when listening to music

“Listening to loud music through earphones and headphones is one of the biggest dangers to your hearing,” says the NHS. Try purchasing a noise-cancelling pair, or maintaining the volume below 60% of its maximum capacity, the guidelines recommend. Another smart solution is to get personal hearing protection that can help cancel out harmful noises also.

3. Protect your hearing

Try to wear custom hearing protection or earplugs when you attend a nightclub or concert, to protect your ears from excessive noise. Alternatively, move away from loudspeakers and try to take a break from the noise every 15 minutes.

4. Take precautions at work

“Your employer is obliged to make changes to reduce your exposure to loud noise,” explains the website – so make sure you are provided with hearing protection such as ear muffs, custom molded hearing protection or earplugs if you need it, and be sure to wear it. We are seeing more of the industrial sectors purchase custom hearing protection for their workers because of long-term care and its sustainable for the environment. Learn more about dB Blockers.

hearing at work

5. Get your hearing tested

If you are worried you are losing your hearing, get a test. The NHS says: “The earlier hearing loss is picked up, the earlier something can be done about it.”

SOURCE

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/noise-pollution-worse-ever-can-avoid-damaging-health-113828163.html

Protecting Infants hearing

October 10, 2018

Growing ears of babies and toddlers are susceptible to damage. Ears and hearing develop significantly in the first few years after birth. Providing hearing protection, especially at a young age, helps to ensure optimal hearing as your child grows.

Loud Sounds Are Even Louder for Kids

Infants and young children are more sensitive to loud noises than adults are. Because the ear canal is smaller in children, the sound pressure that is generated in the ears is greater compared to adults. In other words, loud sounds are even louder for kids.

How Loud is Too Loud?

Hearing damage due to noise exposure is permanent and cumulative. It is important to monitor your child’s surroundings for noise exposure that exceeds recommended levels. Sounds are measured in decibels (dB). Safe sound levels vary based on the duration of exposure. In general, noises softer than 80 dB will not damage hearing unless the exposure lasts for several hours.

Possible Hearing Hazards for Children

Loud toys
Television volume
Events such as festivals, sports events, concerts
Firework displays
White noise sleep machines
Household appliances (vacuum, hair dryer, blender)

Toys

Noise-making toys are popular. Some of these toys can produce sounds in excess of 120 dB. If possible, listen to toys before purchasing to see if the sounds are too loud. Remove the batteries from toys with excessive noise levels. Because children play with toys much closer to their faces and ears, even sounds in the 80-90 dB range can be damaging.

White Noise Sleep Machines

The amount of time an infant is exposed to sound is important. If you’re using an infant sleep machine, test the sound output before leaving it in a room with a sleeping child, and use the lowest volume setting possible. Additionally, parents should place the machine as far from the baby’s crib or bed as possible.

Ways to Protect Infant Hearing

Ear Muffs or Noise Cancelling Headphones

A simple internet search will show numerous vendors with earmuffs and noise cancelling headphones for babies and children. These are small enough to fit snugly on a child’s head.

Custom Earplugs

Personal custom hearing protection for children is also available and recommended over ear plugs. Personal custom hearing protection (dB Blockers) are made for the child’s ear exactly. Learn about How we make dB Blockers.

We Care about Noise Sensitivity

Brie is a vibrant young girl living with a mild case of autism, and Custom Protect Ear is happy to help her manage her sensitivity to noise. Brie is a proud owner of her own personalized dB Blockers that assist her in coping with noise in her environment. Learn More

October Is National Protect Your Hearing Month: Spread the Word!

October 2, 2018

Every Year a Noisy Planet and NIHL team up to spread the news about National Protect Your Hearing Month: October. So aside from the leaves turning red and yellow and kids dressing up to scare their friends – we would like to encourage you to also Spread The Word about National Protect Your Hearing month. Your hearing health is one of your 5 senses* and needs to be protected.

A Noisy Planet

During this year’s National Protect Your Hearing Month—observed each October—learn how to protect yourself and your loved ones from noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), and help Noisy Planet spread the word about hearing health.

People of all ages can be affected by NIHL. Signs of NIHL may not be obvious at first, but they can build over time. A recent study shows that about 13 to 18 percent of children and teens ages 12 to 19 have signs of possible NIHL.

“Make healthy hearing a habit when you are young so that you can avoid NIHL. Exposure to loud sounds can have life-long consequences on your hearing, including making it difficult to communicate with others and to appreciate the sounds of nature and music,” says the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders’ acting director, Judith A. Cooper, Ph.D.

You can help prevent NIHL by making some simple changes to your lifestyle:

Turn down the volume. Set maximum volume limits on electronics and keep the volume low on music devices and TVs. Sounds at or above 85 A-weighted decibels put you at risk for NIHL, especially if they last a long time.
Move away from the noise. To reduce sound intensity and the impact of noise on your ears, increase the distance between you and the noise. Think of this simple step when you are near fireworks, concert speakers, or in a loud restaurant.
Wear hearing protectors, such as molded hearing protection, earplugs or earmuffs. Sometimes you can’t easily escape the sound, whether you’re at a movie theater, a concert, a sporting event, and in a noisy work environment. Earplugs or protective earmuffs can help. If you’re a parent, carry hearing protectors for your little ones and be a good hearing health role model by wearing them yourself. If you don’t have hearing protectors, cover your ears with your hands. Learn More about molded hearing protection.

Help spread the message about healthy hearing:

October is National Protect Your Hearing Month shareable image
How loud is too loud? bookmark (PDF – 1.2MB)

Five senses refers to the five traditionally recognized methods of perception, or sense: taste, sight, touch,smell, and sound.