One tenth of Americans suffer from hearing loss. While the leading cause of hearing loss is due to old age, noise exposure is a close second. For material handlers who work in factories, there is certainly a risk. There’s also plenty of risk for construction workers, landscape technicians and others who operate loud equipment. If you’re a yard jockey and run an old yard dog that’s loud in the cab, you could be at risk for noise exposure as well.
It is a given that Personal Protection Equipment, or PPE, must always be worn in a loud workplace. Any reusable equipment should be inspected and taken out of service and replaced immediately if it is defective. What’s less obvious to people is that their workplace isn’t the only place where they are exposed to noise.
How Else Can I Be Exposed To Noise?
Chances are, if your workplace is loud, the company has done a noise audit and provides necessary hearing protection. When you’re on your own time, however, you may be exposed to noise at excessive levels that can lead to permanent hearing loss.
The Ear Buds Are A Key Reason
More and more people who suffer from hearing loss are young people. Most teenagers don’t work in factories, and certainly, children don’t do so, nor do most children operate tractors, lawnmowers or landscaping equipment. Most children and teens nowadays do, however, use ear buds or headphones for video games and mobile devices. About five million kids now suffer from hearing loss, which represents about 20 percent of all individuals who suffer from it. The ear buds are the culprit.
How Does Hearing Loss Occur?
Hearing loss is caused in two ways: one really loud noise causes serious hearing damage, or continuous exposure to noise over time. That can come from ear buds, or from using loud tools at home without ear protection. Hearing damage can also come from continuous use of fire arms without hearing protection, or even just running the lawnmower or playing loud music in the garage.
What Are The Symptoms of Hearing Loss?
Most people don’t realize their hearing is deteriorating until significant damages to the ears has occurred. Typically, the first symptom is tinnitus, or ringing in the ears. It may occur intermittently but can happen continuously when it is more severe. The second key symptom of progressive hearing loss is the loss of ability to distinguish close noises from background noises. This is often described as being “hard of hearing”. A person will typically ask others to repeat themselves frequently during regular conversations in a noisy area where a lot people are talking.
Audiologists Remind Us That Hearing Loss Is Irreversible
Once your hearing is destroyed, it can’t be restored. The tiny sensory hairs inside the ear are destroyed little by little. Limit exposure to loud noises, avoid loud areas whenever possible and always use hearing protection when you can’t avoid being exposed to noisy situations.