When you think of people who have trouble hearing, you might think of older adults. Most people who live long enough to be seniors will have hearing loss. There are a lot of people in this population who have trouble hearing, either because of age or because of noise.
But you might be surprised to learn that more and more young people are having trouble hearing than ever before. Even though the rates are much lower for seniors, a closer look at the numbers is worrying. Hearing loss is more common in younger generations than it was in younger generations in the past. Even though we don’t know what will happen yet, researchers are worried that the number of people who lose their hearing could increase even more as time goes on. These researchers want to know why younger people are showing higher rates.
Protection is one crucial thing that can be done now and in the future to lower this number. There are two ways to protect your hearing: with devices and good habits. Let’s look at how these two ways to protect your hearing can help young people.
Wear custom-fit hearing protection
Earplugs and other hearing protection tools are essential to keep your hearing from getting hurt.
Let’s talk about the workplace first. Even though earplugs are required at many workplaces and places of business, there will always be a few employers that don’t follow the rules. Even if an employer doesn’t make you wear earplugs or other devices to protect your hearing, it’s still your job to do so.
When it comes to young people, another important place to protect their hearing is at outdoor and indoor events. When we’re having fun, we can damage our hearing by going to concerts, sporting events, dance clubs, or loud pubs with loud music playing in the background. Why not talk to the young people in your life about how they could protect their hearing at these events? Custom-made earplugs made from a mold of your ears can protect you perfectly while letting you talk and hear the music at these events.
Practice safe use of earbuds and other hearing devices
Young people can protect their hearing in more ways than just by wearing earplugs when they are out having fun.
One of the most important things to consider is using earbuds and headphones. Since more and more media can be streamed directly to these devices, young people spend much more time than ever listening to audio. Many of these media streams, whether music, podcasts, TV shows, movies, or audiobooks, can go on for hours.
Picture a young person who is watching a TV show over and over again. Adding up all your time wearing headphones leaves a dangerous imprint on your ears. Noise-induced hearing loss is caused by how loud the noise is and how long it lasts. Even if a young person thinks the volume is fine, listening for hours on end is enough to cause permanent damage.
In the same way, wearing earbuds or headphones in places with a lot of noise can be dangerous. Not only is the noise around you dangerous, like a loud commuter train, but the earbuds add decibels to an already dangerous level. Because of this, even a few minutes of using a device at its highest volume level could be enough to cause permanent damage.
There are ways to limit a young person’s devices, and there are apps that let parents control the decibel level with a parental password. Still, the best way to move forward is to encourage young people to form healthy habits. When they leave home, their habits will take over. You can help young people have a better hearing if you teach them these healthy habits at a young age.
These tips aren’t just for young people. No matter your age, practicing safe hearing is always a good decision!