Most people think about hearing damage only in connection with extremely noisy places such as construction sites or rock concerts. The truth is that people’s daily habits are the main culprits of gradual hearing loss in the long run. The small decisions made repeatedly over weeks, months, and years contribute to the creation of potential damage that may not be recognized until a large part of hearing ability is lost. Understanding the common practices that jeopardize hearing health facilitates the implementation of corrective measures to preserve auditory function until irreversible damage occurs.
Raising the Volume on Personal Audio Devices
Listening to music, podcasts, or videos through earbuds and headphones has turned into such a regular activity in people’s lives that the majority do not think about the possible risks. The comfort that comes with having entertainment directly in the ears also brings the danger of getting exposed to extremely loud volumes.
This is especially true when the person is trying to get rid of the background noise in a gym, on the bus, or during a subway ride. A lot of people set the volume levels at the ear-pain threshold and higher in a habitual manner without having any idea that they are causing damage each time they listen.
Using Cotton Swabs in Ears
Among other things, earwax performs a very important function in the human body by trapping dirt and keeping the ear canal moist and healthy. The use of cotton swabs causes the pushing of wax further down into the canals, which, as a result, leads to the blocking of hearing and the infection risk being increased.
In addition, the practice might rub off the soft skin inside the ear canal and, in extremely rare cases, even result in a punctured eardrum if the swab is inserted too forcibly, potentially leading to an irreversible loss of hearing.
Ignoring Ear Protection During Routine Tasks
Hearing protection is almost never considered by the majority of people when carrying out most of the tasks at home that produce noise above the level at which hearing protection is required. They don’t take into consideration the very effects of these routine tasks. Commonly, lawnmowers, power tools, leaf blowers, and even kitchen appliances like blenders make such loud noises that if the hearing is not protected by earplugs or earmuffs, it may be damaged due to long-term exposure.
The cumulative nature of the effects of these short exposures makes it worse for those who do such activities regularly, as for years they have been without ear protection.
Smoking and Secondhand Smoke Exposure
Smoking negatively impacts the auditory system of the body through multiple routes, which ultimately leads to the destruction of hearing. Within the inner ear, nicotine and carbon monoxide act by impairing the blood supply, thereby starving the already very sensitive hair cells of the oxygen and nutrients they require for their functioning.
Moreover, smoking weakens the eustachian tubes and the middle ear lining, thus allowing infections to occur and causing chronic inflammation. Besides, even exposure to secondhand smoke leads to hearing loss, particularly in kids, whose auditory systems are still maturing and consequently are more susceptible to being damaged by toxic exposures.
Loud Events Attendance without Protection
Concerts, sporting events, theatres, and other places of entertainment usually produce noise at levels higher than what is safe. But still, most people who go to such places do not bring hearing protection.
Nevertheless, every time some hair cells die as a result of the exposure, and those hair cells cannot be replaced. Ultimately, persistent participation in loud events without protection results in hearing loss that affects daily communication considerably.
Change Habits to Save Hearing
Keeping personal audio volumes in check, having professionals do earwax removal, wearing hearing protection when doing noisy tasks, not smoking, and bringing earplugs to events are all practices that can prevent unnecessary damage.
Contact a hearing health professional for personalized advice about protecting hearing and for scheduling baseline testing that establishes current hearing levels for future comparison, which is based on individual lifestyle factors.
