Noise and Hearing Loss Prevention Resources – please share!

December 9, 2019

Noise and Hearing Loss Prevention

Loud noise can damage hearing or cause permanent hearing loss. Dangerous noise levels can be found in workplaces such as industrial, commercial and retail and  recreational settings like restaurants, stadiums, and clubs; in the classroom; or even on our own personal audio devices.

hear in nose

What is a safe noise level?

We record noise levels in decibels, or dBA. The higher the noise level, the louder the noise.

You can listen to sounds at 70 dBA or lower for as long as you want. Sounds at 85 dBA can lead to hearing loss if you listen to them for more than 8 hours at a time. For personal listening devices, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a volume of no more than 80 dBA for adults and 75 dBA for children.

WHO Standard for Safe Listening

Hearing

ASHA Resources for Hearing Loss Prevention

How ASHA Promotes Hearing Health

Besides the resources above, ASHA is very active in promoting hearing health and raising the profile of hearing issues on many domestic and international fronts.

Domestically:

  • From the first days of digital media, ASHA has been a national leader raising concerns about the potential impact of unhealthy personal audio device use. For a decade, ASHA’s Listen to Your Buds campaign put on “safe listening concerts” in schools nationwide to educate children about hearing health.
  • ASHA’s Healthy Communication & Popular Technology Initiative focuses on raising public awareness about the importance of healthy usage of personal audio devices.
  • Launched in 2013, ASHA’s Identify the Signs campaign is dedicated to educating the public about the warning signs of communication disorders and the importance of acting quickly at the first sign of trouble.
  • In 2011, ASHA partnered with AARP in assessing the hearing health of its members; polling indicated a significant degree of untreated hearing loss and led to ASHA’s Speak Up for Hearing Loss national campaign that encouraged people to seek professional guidance and help with hearing care.

Internationally:

  • At WHO’s request, ASHA serves as an ongoing advisor on the Make Listening Safe campaign, a WHO initiative that produced the first global standard for safe listening on personal devices.
  • ASHA is a member of the World Hearing Forum, a WHO-established global network of stakeholders dedicated to promoting ear and hearing care worldwide.
  • Through a digital campaign, ASHA participates annually in World Hearing Day (March 3), raising awareness and educating the public about hearing-related issues.
  • ASHA is a founder of the International Communication Project, which is dedicated to raising the profile of communication disorders with global policymakers.

To learn more about hearing protection and hearing conservation check out our resources:

Custom Protect Ear Hearing Resources

Hearing Protection 

Hearing Conservation 

NOISE-RELATED HEARING LOSS VIDEO (See below)


SOURCE

https://www.asha.org/public/hearing/Noise-and-Hearing-Loss-Prevention/

Listen up about hearing loss

October 17, 2017

Listen up about hearing loss

At a very young age, many of us are trained to take care of our health and hygiene. From washing our hands before we touch food to brushing our teeth at least a couple of times a day – it all revolves around prevention.

We are taught to understand that if you don’t take care of yourself, you might experience negative symptoms like a cavity in your teeth, a congested nose or blurriness in the eyes. Every day we read an article or hear about a deadly virus in the news, but many people are not aware of things that affect our health in a negative way until it is too late.

Hearing LossHearing protection - listen up

Hearing loss is an example of a  negative symptom many people today. Especially since we are impacted by the digital economy we live in; we are prone to noise from the time our alarm clocks go off. Hearing problems often start slowly over time. and lead to total deafness.


There are many causes of  Hearing loss can be divided into two main categories:

Conductive hearing loss (CHL) & Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL)

Conductive hearing loss (CHL) occurs because of a mechanical problem in the outer or middle ear. The three tiny bones of the ear (ossicles) may not conduct sound properly. Or, the eardrum may not vibrate in response to sound. Fluid in the middle ear can cause this type of hearing loss.

Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is due to a problem with the inner ear. It most often occurs when the tiny hair cells (nerve endings) that move sound through the ear are injured, diseased, do not work correctly, or have died. Learn more about Hearing Protection.

It has also been determined that untreated, hearing loss can lead to depression, dissatisfaction with life, reduced functional and cognitive health, and withdrawal from social activities. What you need to know about hearing loss is that it is irreversible.

Hearing Loss: Things to know

So how do you know if you have hearing loss? Quoted by the Canadian Foundation of Hearing.

Take the hearing loss quiz! Answer yes or no to the following:

  1. I often miss parts of conversations and continually ask people to repeat themselves.
  2. I find that the high and low tones of many sounds have disappeared. For example, I find it difficult to hear birds singing.
  3. My family or friends complain that I listen to the TV at too loud a volume.
  4. I have to turn up the volume on the telephone/cellphone to hear properly.
  5. I have difficulty distinguishing speech from background noises. For example, I often have difficulty following dinnertime conversation,  while others are talking and music is playing.
  6. I find myself straining to read lips and facial expressions just to understand what someone is saying to me.

If you answered yes to three or more of these questions, then you need to have your hearing checked by a qualified audiologist. For a list of audiologists in your area, refer to your phone book or contact the Canadian Academy of Audiology or in the United States click here. In many cases, testing your hearing is a free service audiologist often offer.

MD com

Remember hearing loss prevention is one of the many things you can avoid if you know what to avoid and what to look for. So listen up and be aware of sounds and noises that can cause damage over time to your hearing.

To learn more about custom hearing protection contact us today! 

Sound Advice.

 

Top 4 things you need for your hearing conservation plan

September 27, 2016

As an Employer you are responsible for the health & well being of your workers while on the job. Have you done a recent overview of your hearing conservation plan for your employees and staff?

Here are the top 4 things you need for your hearing conservation plan starting from Awareness to taking noise waveAction to Assessing the effectiveness of your plan and on to becoming an Advocate for hearing conservation.

 

Awareness

  1. Hearing Tests – Establish a baseline hearing assessment for all new employees /staff and regularly re-assess to determine if any changes have occurred.
  2. What noise environments are the employees / staff exposed to?
  3. Employers should understand the health implications from both a physical, emotional and social concern of NIHL (Noise Induced Hearing loss) 
  4. Employers should understand the cost implications from loss of employee work hours, loss of trained employees no longer able to work in that environment, cost of employee dissatisfaction or loss of the company’s reputation as a workplace that is attractive to workers.

Action

  1. Educate & Train employees and staff on the importance of protecting their hearing and the effects of noise on hearing.
  2. hearing protectionNoise Controlled Work Environment – What changes can be made to the workplace environment to reduce the noise exposure levels. Can physical barriers be erected between the source of the noise and the worker? What sound reduction devices can be added to the machinery/ tools/ vehicles or equipment that is the source of the noise? What new or better equipment or facilities will accommodate better hearing protections.
  3. Employee / Staff hearing protection devices for any possibility of exposure over the guideline values along with training on best use practices and proper fitting.
  4. Posting notices / warning signs in any areas that require hearing protection devices

Assess

  1. Review Company guidelines annually
  2. Review testing results and assess if the current programs in place appear to be effective at preventing hearing loss
  3. Review any new noise control solutions and how to implement
  4. Review employee/staff training to ensure high level of compliance and understanding

Advocacy

  1. Lobbying by Employers and Employees for better protective guidelines, record keeping and reporting.

Remember hearing protection benefits everyone – Employer and Employee alike.

Learn more about HEARING CONSERVATION 

 

Hearing Loss and Workers Compensation

January 14, 2013

Employees who are subject to high levels of noise at work will eventually experience hearing loss if they are not using proper hearing protection.  If that employee applies for workers compensation for hearing loss, the difficulty arises in determining exactly how much of that hearing loss is due to work related noise levels, and what hearing loss is either non-occupational or a natural occurrence due to age.

Testing for Hearing Loss

Determining this level of hearing loss is up to the workers comp claims adjuster. This can be very challenging because they must go back through the employee’s medical history related to their hearing. In some cases, they may have to go back decades to determine the correct percentage of hearing loss caused by exposure to noise at work.High Noise Areas at Work

What the claims adjuster needs are previous records of audiograms performed by an audiologist or otolaryngologist in a soundproof room. These tests measure the employee’s hearing threshold at various frequencies. After finding previous records of hearing tests, the claims adjuster will then take a current reading of the employees hearing levels.

He or she then compares the previous levels to the current levels and adjusts the hearing loss depreciating the value for age and normal hearing loss that can be expected over the course of one’s lifetime.

If the new test shows an increase in hearing loss, the patient must then go through further testing by an otolaryngologist to determine if the hearing loss is due to a defect in the middle ear, an infection or a previous injury rather than to noise levels at work.

If the otolaryngologist determines that the hearing loss is due to one of these factors, the application for workers compensation can be denied, but if the otolaryngologist can determine that the hearing loss is due to noise levels or a combination of hearing problems, then the claim can continue.

Ask for a Baseline Audiogram – Mandatory from OSHA

Due to the complexity of determining these claims, it is imperative that employers offer baseline audiograms (mandatory under OSHA regulations) to new hires and encourage employees to wear hearing protection. The best way for employers to limit workers compensation cases is to protect the hearing of workers from the beginning.

Companies that incorporate hearing protection, like Custom Ear Protect dB Blockers™ into their safety program, will save money by decreasing hearing loss claims and reducing the cost of the claims that do occur. Explore our website to see how you can learn more about the difference in noise frequencies, how to test for noise levels at your workplace and how you can implement a successful hearing protection program.

Hearing Torment Effects Everyone…

December 5, 2012

Loud noises effects everyone from Musicians to Industrial trade workers to an everyday teenager.

As the world gets noisier we need to protect our hearing more than ever.  It may be the last thing we think of – BUT THINK ABOUT IT… what would you do if your ears were always ringing – or  if you could not hear your baby cry – or listen to the sounds of one of your favourite bands like Coldplay.  As a fan of Coldplay I wanted to share this article with everyone who thinks that “Naaa this wont happen to me”… Because YES it can!

Terrible ringing in his ears and excruciating headaches’: Chris Martin’s secret ten-year hearing torment

For the past decade we can reveal the Coldplay star has also been plagued with the excruciating ear condition, tinnitus

Covered up: Chris wears discreet ear moulds on stage
Covered up: Chris wears discreet ear moulds on stage

What Moulded Ear Plugs did for Chris

Coldplay star Chris Martin has performed in front of millions of screaming fans since hitting the big time 12 years ago. But for the past decade we can reveal that the star has also been plagued with the excruciating ear condition, tinnitus. The seven-time Grammy winner was warned by doctors that the debilitating ringing in his ears – coupled with splitting headaches – could end his stellar music career. And the 35-year-old, who is married to actress Gwyneth Paltrow, must wear earplugs to save his hearing. Speaking for the first time about his agonizing ailment, he said: “I’ve had tinnitus for about 10 years, but since I started protecting my ears it hasn’t got any worse – touch wood. “The band use moulded filter plugs, similar to dB Blockers or in-ear monitors. See Coldplay on our “Protecter to the Stars” page. You can use industrial headphones similar to Smart Muffs – but they look strange at a party.”

 

 

Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin walking in New York, America
Listen up: Chris and Gwyneth in 2003

 

Hearing Protection: Pay it Forward

Chris believes that listening to blaring music as a teenager was the root cause and he wants others to avoid the same fate. He said: “Looking after your ears is unfortunately something you don’t think about until there’s a problem. I wish I’d thought about it earlier.” The star insists his two children, Apple, seven, and Moses, six, are never exposed to loud music. During 2005’s Live 8 concert at Hyde Park in London, Apple wore giant ear defenders. Last night a friend of the star said: “Chris suffered with terrible ringing in his ears and excruciating headaches. “If he hadn’t sought treatment, he might not be performing today.

“When he does perform, he wears ear monitors to prevent hearing loss.”

 

 

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow and daughter Apple watch Coldplay singer Chris Martin perform on stage at "Live 8 London" in Hyde Park
Muffled: Gwyneth and Apple in 2005

 

Tinnitus – a problem usually affecting the over-55s – can result in permanent deafness if untreated. Chris is now fronting a new charity campaign – Action On Hearing Loss – with sufferers including rapper Plan B and 80s pop legend Gary Numan. Plan B, 28, said: “At first I thought it was trains rushing by as I live near a railway line. It’s caused by years of being subjected to loud music.” Gary Numan, 54, also revealed he was no longer able to mix music after damaging his ears during the peak of his career.
He added: “I didn’t look after my ears and I’m in trouble.”

 

Coldplay scoop the award for Best British Band
Band mates: Chris with the rest of Coldplay

* For more information Read Article Here. 

 

 Action on Hearing Loss: A charity with a great cause.

Action on Hearing Loss is an Organization in the UK that promotes a world where hearing loss doesn’t limit or label people, where tinnitus is silenced – and where people value and look after their hearing.

One of their promotional campaign is: 5 Ways to Protect Your Hearing

Music is the soundtrack to our lives

BUT every time you listen to loud music for too long, you increase the risk of damaging your hearing. If your exposure to loud music is repeated regularly, the damage could be permanent.

Remember – M.U.S.I.C.

M.U.S.I.C. M: MP3 players can be too loud for your ears - turn it down! U: Use chillout zones in clubs and take regular breaks from the loudest areas. S: Stand back from speakers - your ears will thank you! I: Invest in some noise cancelling headphones. C: Carry earplugs with you - they won't block music out, just make it safer.

Learn more about Action on Hearing Loss.  

Hearing Loss in the Mining Industry

November 27, 2012

The most common occupational illness for miners is hearing loss. Immediately noise levels come to mind – the large drilling machines, close proximity to loud machines and the reverberation off the walls of the mine. According to NIOSH and the CDC, by age 60, 75% of miners have a hearing impairment due to exposure to noise.
Hearing Protection for Miners in the Mining Industry
Hearing loss is 100% preventable and unfortunately, once it occurs, there is no cure. You may not even notice that the damage has occurred right away, because it causes no pain and the damage is not visible.

If you are a miner and have loss of hearing, you may experience these symptoms:

• Difficulty hearing warning signals
• Difficulty hearing what someone is saying
• Accidents
• Ringing or buzzing in your ears
• After you leave a noisy area, your hearing may seem dull or muffled
• Headaches
• Tiredness
• Stress

Miners Can Protect Their Hearing with Custom Ear Plugs

Do not wait to experience any of these symptoms before you protect your ears with hearing protection. Custom Protect Ear dB Blockers™ custom fit earplugs are more comfortable and offer superior hearing protection to any disposable earplug. However, did you know that they are more cost effective as well?

You can reduce your hearing protection costs by 60% over five years when an entire facility is fit.
dB Blockers™ are more comfortable because there is only one way for them to fit and they made for each individual. They also make it easy for workers to communicate with each other because of our proprietary tuned filter that allows users to hear better with the plugs in than if they take them out.

Our product is safer for miners because it allows them to hear. Hear warning signals, hear backup alarms, and hear the roof. Our dB Blockers™ are made from a non-flammable, hypoallergenic silicon blend (called SkinSoft™) unlike disposable earplugs, which are flammable and make users prone to ear infections. Disposable foam earplugs also swell when they come in contact with water or perspiration.
We urge you to consider Custom Protect Ear dB Blockers for your mine for a product that can be worn for an entire shift because if you can’t hear, it’s not clear.

Sudden Hearing Loss – First National Guidelines Published

April 5, 2012

Sudden Hearing Loss Research

The first national treatment guideline for sudden hearing loss has been developed by a panel of 19 medical experts led by Robert J. Stachler, M.D., an otolaryngologist in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.  Sudden hearing loss is a condition which sends thousands of individuals in the United States to the emergency room each year. The guideline was published this month in the Journal of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. 

Dr. Stachler, said:

“In most cases, patients will have multiple visits with several physicians and undergo extensive testing before a diagnosis is made. There’s also been a lack of one or more uniformly accepted treatments, or a consensus on how to counsel patients who do fully recover their hearing. By focusing on opportunities for quality improvement, the guideline should improve diagnosis, reduce unnecessary tests and imaging procedures, and improve hearing for patients affected by sudden hearing loss.”

The team of experts developed the guideline after examining the literature and reaching a consensus for patient diagnosis, management and follow-up care. The panel included Christopher A. Lewandowski, M.D., a physician in emergency medicine, and Henry Ford’s Kathleen L. Yaremchuk, M.D., chair of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

Sudden Hearing Loss

Sudden hearing loss is a rapid loss of hearing in one or both ears which can happen to an individual all at once or over a period of up to 3 days. Usually, patients report that their ear feels full or blocked. Dr. Stachler notes that as symptoms of sudden hearing loss are so prevalent and non-specific, evaluation and treatment are often delayed in several cases. Sudden hearing loss can be caused by a range of issues, such as infectious diseases, induced hearing loss, head trauma, noise induced hearing loss, Meniere’s disease, and circulatory problems.

The new guideline, which is intended for all clinicians who see patients aged 18+, includes:

  • > Information for patients regarding the benefits and risks of medical intervention
  • > Recommendations to assist clinicians in determining whether a patient with sudden hearing loss is suffering from conductive hearing loss or from sensorineural hearing loss. Although both are common causes of hearing loss, they have extremely different treatment strategies.
  • > Recommendations advising clinicians to not order computerized tomography (CT) of the head/brain as part of the initial patient assessment.
  • > A range of amplification and hearing assistive technology available to those patients with incomplete recovery of hearing.

Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss 

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL), a subset of sudden hearing loss is also covered in the guideline. Each year in the United States approximately 4,000 new cases of SSNHL are reported. Even though the majority of patients recovery completely without the need for medical intervention, roughly 15% of patients with SSNHL experience progressive hearing loss over time.

> The guideline is published as a supplement to Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, and is available here.

> To learn more about the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at Henry Ford, click here.

How Loud is Too Loud? 
Warning Signs Your Workplace May be Too Noisy

March 28, 2012

Exposure to high levels of noise can cause permanent hearing loss, and each year approximately 30 million people in the United States are exposed to hazardous noise in the workplace.

Noise-related hearing loss has been listed as one of the most prevalent occupational health concerns for more than 25 years. Thousands of workers every year suffer from preventable hearing loss due to high workplace noise levels. In 2009 alone, BLS reported more than 21,000 hearing loss cases. Neither surgery nor a hearing aid can help correct this type of hearing loss. Learn more about Occupational Noise Exposure. 

Short term exposure to loud noise can also cause a temporary change in hearing (your ears may feel stuffed up) or a ringing in your ears (tinnitus). These short term problems may go away within a few minutes or hours after leaving the noisy area. However, exposure to loud noise can lead to permanent tinnitus and/ or hearing loss. The effects of hearing loss can be profound. Noise Induced hearing loss limits your ability to hear high frequency sounds, understand speech, and seriously impairs your ability to communicate. Learn more about the symptoms of  Noise Induce Hearing Loss (NIHL) 

What are the warning signs that your workplace may be too noisy? Noise may be a problem in your workplace if:

  • You hear ringing or humming in your ears when you leave work
  • You have to shout to be heard by a coworker an arm’s length away
  • You experience temporary hearing loss when leaving work.
noisy workplace

Connect PhoneBuddy™ to your dB Blockers.

November 18, 2011

Product Release

Surrey British Columbia, November 14th, 2011. Custom Protect Ear launches the The PhoneBuddy™, headphones that are compatible to dB Blockers and work with many Smartphones. The headphones, “The PhoneBuddy™” are available in two versions; the single and the dual.

PhoneBuddy™ I  is a single version headphone for Phone Buddy monaural use (phone calls and to just hear the phone ring in noise). The unit works with virtually any smart phone and has an inline microphone and flash button for answering the call and hanging up. 

“A BIG PLUS is you can connect your PhoneBuddy™ into your dB Blocker Convertible vented protector and hear the phone ring in noise. You still have to move to quieter places to have a conversation but you won’t miss the call, says Custom Protect Ear’s President, Jeffery Goldberg.

PhoneBuddy™ II

PhoneBuddy™ II is the stereo version. With PhoneBuddy™ II you can listen to music and answer your phone calls on most Smartphones. It also has an in-line microphone with a flash switch. When a call comes in, the phone will ring in the earpiece and the user simply switches to the phone by pressing the flash switch.  When the call concludes, the user presses the flash switch again and the music resumes playing.

What makes PhoneBuddy unique is the sound quality and the ability to use it with more than one Smartphone.  PhoneBuddy™ II also connects to dB Blocker Convertible vented protectors for use in a noisy work environment. PhoneBuddy™ I sells for $69.00 retail with discounts for commercial users. PhoneBuddy™ II sells for $125.00 retail also with discounts for commercial users.

Please contact us for more details.

Custom Protect Ear
681-7789 134th Street
Surrey, BC  V3W 9E9
Canada
Phone: 604-599-1311 x321
Toll-free: 1-800-520-0220 x321
Fax: 604-599-7377
Email: hear@protectear.com