Helen Keller once said:
Blindness cuts us off from things, but deafness cuts us off from people
When thinking about our five senses, hearing is the one that we take for granted the most. The sense that we don't get checked or protect enough.
If our vision becomes blurred, we go to the optician and get glasses. Employers usually pay for free check ups to get our eyes tested if you work with computers. Yet if you are for example an audio typist, the same checks are not in place.
If our sense of smell was to disappear, we would be off to the doctor. Yet, when it comes to our hearing, we are much more complacent.
In the days of modern technology it is more important than ever that we protect our hearing. How many times have you been listening to music on your phone, turned the audio for your favourite song and had the high volume warning message come up? How many times have you ignored it? In my case, every time.
There are simple ways in which you can protect your hearing. Generally, a noise level that could damage your hearing can be quantified by having to shout over others to be heard, you have ringing in your ears (after a concert for example) or you cannot hear what others are saying to you.
Here are some easy ways in which you can protect your hearing:
Don't Ignore Ear Pain
Earache, as anyone who has ever had it knows, can be horrendous. Worse, it can cause temporary hearing loss and if ignored, can have far reaching consequences. If you work in a social environment like a club or a bar with sound system for example, it is wise get your hearing regularly checked. For my locality, I use London Hearing
Use Noise Cancelling Headphones
On your daily commute to work or even when you are going for a run, you want to drown out all other noises and distractions. The temptation is to turn up your music to full to drown everyone else out. Using noise cancelling headphones removes the distractions, whilst also allowing you to listen to music at a lower volume. Guidelines saying we ought to limit the volume to 60% and for no more than an hour at a time.
Give Your Ears a Break
Whether your job involves working with loud machinery, or perhaps you go to concerts or a noisy club every weekend, it is important that you give your ears a break to recover and rest. Take breaks. Remove yourself from the environment as often as you can and when possible, especially in a work environment, use ear protection.
How often do you think about protecting your hearing?
