Southwest Florida's Health and Wellness Magazine Health and Wellness Articles
By Dr. Noël Crosby, Au.D.
Summer has arrived and many of us will be spending much of our time around noisy outdoor activities. Fireworks, lawn equipment and power tools are just a few of these noisy activities. It is important to use a few common sense hearing precautions to conserve your hearing.
Noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a concern for people of all ages. One of the main reasons for hearing loss, is damage to the tiny hair cells in our inner ears that vibrate in response to sounds. What we think of as hearing are the translations of these vibrations into electrical impulses which are sent to and interpreted in the brain. These hair cells have to be very small and sensitive to do their jobs correctly. It is precisely because they are small and sensitive that they are also easily damaged. The hair cells of the inner ear can be damaged from exposure to loud noises. The hair cells can also be damaged by certain medications, infections, and by aging.
Gradually developing NIHL can be caused by multiple exposures to any source of excessive volume, such as home and vehicle stereos, concerts, nightclubs, excessive noise in the workplace, and personal media players. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) states that exposure to 85 dB of noise, for more than eight hours per day can result in permanent hearing loss. Since decibels are based on a logarithmic scale, every increase of 3 decibels results in a doubling of intensity, meaning hearing loss can occur at a faster rate. Therefore, gradually developing NIHL occurs from the combination of sound intensity and duration of exposure to the sound. The damage to your hearing is permanent.
NIHL can happen with a single exposure to a loud sound. This form of NIHL commonly results from exposure to high-intensity sounds such as explosions, gunfire, a large drum hit loudly, and firecrackers. The excessive sound pressure from a loud noise can destroy the nerve endings in your inner ear. This causes hearing impairment and there is no known procedure for restoring dead nerve endings. The damage to your hearing is permanent.
Following are a few of the precautions that a person can take that will help conserve their hearing:
Become aware of the noises around you at work, home and play. If a sound seems too loud, it probably is! Do whatever you can to remove yourself from this noise.
Wear hearing protection any time you engage in noisy activity such as using a leaf blower, mowing the lawn, using power tools or riding a snowmobile.
If possible, you can conserve your hearing by decreasing the volume.
Consider the use of ear protection. Most noise-induced hearing loss can be prevented with the
proper use of protective ear devices. Earplugs are available at most drugstores and earmuffs can be found at most sporting good stores.
Everyone should be concerned with protecting themselves from noise induced hearing loss. Whether you are young, old, hearing impaired, it is never too late to begin conserving your natural hearing.
To help those who may be concerned about their hearing we are happy to announce that for the upcoming summer months (July & August) we will be offering a No-Charge hearing screening with one of our Audiologists on selected days and times. A Hearing screening will give us a pass or fail and from there we will be able to give you a recommendation on what your next steps should be. If you are interested in an appointment please call today 941-474-8393 Limited appointment slots available.
PROFESSIONAL BIO
Dr. Noël Crosby, Au.D., owner and audiologist at Advanced Hearing Solutions in Englewood, FL is a licensed professional whose 26 year career has been devoted to helping people of all ages hear and understand more clearly. Dr. Crosby received her BS and MS degrees from FSU and her Doctorate in Audiology from UF. Her credibility as an authority grew during her tenure as the Director of Audiology at the Silverstein Institute in Sarasota, FL from 1991-1998. Today, in addition to managing a successful audiology practice, Dr. Crosby is involved in creating hearing loss awareness through her jewelry and accessory company AuDBling.com. She has served and is serving on various professional boards and committees and was president of the Florida Academy of Audiology in 2000 and 2010. She has been married to Michael for 23 years and has one daughter.
For more information contact Noël’s office at 941-474-8393 or you can visit her website at www.advancedhearingsolutions.net.
