Save Your Hearing Day

Our hearing is vital, so it needs to be protected. Hearing loss can result from a variety of reasons, including: health, genetic and environmental causes. Some of them are avoidable. On the environmental side, repeated long term exposure to loud, high decibel noises can overtime cause hearing loss. Save Your Hearing Day is an opportunity to learn what you can do to avoid hearing loss and practice it.

History and Origin of Save Your Hearing Day is not clear. But the following event may have something to do with the creation of this special day: on this day, May 31, in 1976, The Who played at the Charlton Athletic Grounds in England and made the Guinness Book of World Records as the loudest rock band ever. Their musical performance measured 76,000 watts and 120 decibels.

It’s not a secret that listening to loud sounds for a long time can overwork hair cells in the ear, which can cause these cells to die. The human ear is like any other body part - too much use can damage it.

Adults and children today are commonly exposed to loud music. People, listening to it all day long through ear buds connected to devices like iPods or MP3 players, are a common occurrence in our days. But it’s very important to exercise reasonable precaution when enjoying your favourite piece of music. Here are some tips for you how to do it.

How to Listen to Music on Your iPod or MP3 Player

The small ear bud style headphones (inserted into the ears) do not block outside sounds. Users tend to turn up the volume to block out other noise. Using noise-cancelling earphones may help you keep the volume down because you can more easily hear the music.

If you wear headphones, the volume is too loud if a person standing near you can hear the music through your headphones.

Other tips about headphones are:

• Decrease the amount of time you use headphones.

• Turn down the volume. Listening to music at level 5 or above for just 15 minutes per day may cause long-term hearing damage.

• Do not raise the volume past the halfway point on the volume bar when using headphones. Or, use the volume limiter on your device. This will prevent you from turning the sound up too high.

When at a Concert

Rolled-up napkins or tissues do almost nothing to protect your ears at concerts.

Two types of earplugs are available to wear:

• Foam or silicone earplugs, available at drugstores, help reduce noise. They will muffle sounds and voices but may fit poorly.

• Custom-fit musician earplugs fit better than foam or silicone ones and do not change the sound quality.

Other tips while in music venues are:

• Sit at least 10 feet (3 m) or more away from speakers

• Take breaks in quieter areas. Limit your time around noise.

• Move around the venue to find a quieter spot.

• Avoid having others shout in your ear to be heard. This can cause further harm to your ears.

• Avoid too much alcohol, which can make you unaware of the pain louder sounds can cause.

Rest your ears for 24 hours after exposure to loud music to give them a chance to recover.

When to Call the Doctor

If you have ringing in your ears or your hearing is muffled for more than 24 hours after exposure to loud music, have your hearing checked by an audiologist.

See your health care provider for signs of hearing loss if:

• Some sounds seem louder than they should be.

• It is easier to hear men's voices than women's voices.

• You have trouble telling high-pitched sounds (such as "s" or "th") from one another.

• Other people's voices sound mumbled or slurred.

• You need to turn the television or radio up or down.

• You have ringing or a full feeling in your ears.

Source: medlineplus.gov