Sound Advice to Protect Against Hearing Loss

Are you bombarded by noise every day? Sounds from televisions, lawn mowers, motorcycles, and sirens can invade your peace and quiet. Worse, these noises also can damage your hearing.

According to Dr. Michael Brooks with the Laurel Ear, Nose, and Throat Surgical Clinic, "Noise-induced hearing loss can be temporary or permanent. Hearing loss can happen immediately after an intense brief noise, such as an explosion. Or it can occur slowly over years of continuous exposure to loud noises, such as a factory worker exposed to daily sounds of machinery."

If you are exposed to loud noises or continuous noise at potentially harmful levels, you should protect your hearing.

Check with your doctor to determine which type of protection—earmuffs or earplugs—is better for the kind of noise exposure you experience. And be sure to have your hearing tested every year if you are regularly exposed to potentially harmful noises. To receive a hearing test, call 649-8732.

Tips to Protect Your Hearing

Here are ways to shield your ears from potentially loud noises:

• Keep televisions, stereos, and headphones at a low volume.
• Wear ear protection when using loud machinery.

The editorial content of this online publication is taken from the print version of Life Matters published by South Central Regional Medical Center.

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