How Can I Tell If I Have a Hearing Loss

HOW CAN I TELL IF I HAVE workers may depend on your A HEARING LOSS? PROTECT YOUR hearing. So be responsible and Because hearing loss usually HEARING preserve it! occurs gradually, most people HOW CAN I PROTECT MY don’t notice the subtle changes in FROM HEARING? their hearing. You may have RECREATIONA First of all - turn down the damaged your hearing if you have L NOISES volume! If you have no control experienced any of the following: over the volume, be mindful of . Ringing in the ears after being YOUR JOB, YOUR LIFE, AND all the different sounds that you exposed to loud sounds or THE LIVES OF YOUR are bombarded with everyday. COMBAT BUDDIES ARE AT listening with earphones Do you: STAKE! . Attend concerts, dance clubs, . Others have told you that the or loud bars? volume is too high on your car . Listen to loud music while stereo, walkman, TV, etc. driving or at home? . Use earphones while . You often ask others to repeat exercising? things or to speak more clearly . Use a telephone earpiece regularly? . Others have suggested that Turn Down the Music! . Use power tools/lawn your hearing is diminished Anyone can develop permanent equipment? . You find that looking at people hearing loss if exposed to . Fire weapons as a hobby? when they talk makes it easier damaging sound levels. to understand, especially in a Protect your hearing during Listening to music while these events by turning down the noisy place or where there are exercising can make exercising fun competing conversations volume, wearing ear protection, and more enjoyable, but loud or avoiding/limiting the * If you have concerns about your music can and does cause situations that can damage your hearing, request a referral to permanent damage to your hearing. Audiology for a hearing test. hearing. Continual routine exposure to recreational noise reduces your hearing sensitivity. Your job and the lives of your co- hearin hearhearing.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I start above 84dB and are IS YOUR LISTEN TO LOUD MUSIC? dependent on the length of time you are exposed. As sound gets HEARING Hearing occurs when sound waves louder, safe exposure time gets vibrate through your eardrum, OUT OF SHAPE? shorter. Increasing sound by 4dB, middle ear bones, inner ear fluid, decreases the safe exposure time and stereocilia. Stereocilia are by half! located in the Organ of Corti

(which is housed within the snail- Sound Level in dB Safe Exposure Time shaped Cochlea). In response to 84 8hrs vibration, stereocilia stimulate 88 4hrs nerve endings that send neural 92 2hrs 96 1hr signals to the brain to be processed 100 30mins and interpreted. Stereocilia are 104 15mins like piano keys that give pure, 108 7mins, 30secs precise and rich qualities to 112 ~3mins, 45secs sounds. 116 ~1min, 45sec 120 ~1min Hearing loss occurs when the 124 ~30secs  128 ~15sec vibration of the stereocilia is too 132 ~7.5secs intense. These damaging sounds 136 ~3secs are like a tsunami wave that 140 ~1sec demolishes the cilia and other structures in its way. Having a Typical noise levels dB hearing loss is like listening to a Rustle of leaves 15 Soft whisper 30 piano recital when only half the Normal conversation 55 piano keys are played. Bird singing 60 HOW CAN I TELL IF THE Vacuum cleaner 70 MUSIC IS TOO LOUD? Normal street traffic 75 Alarm clock ringing 80 Sound intensity is measured in Heavy city traffic 92 decibels (dB). Unfortunately Punch press 100 IPODs, walkmans and stereos Steel plate falling 105  Hard rock music 110 don’t often display sound levels in Jet passing overhead 115 decibels. Damaging sound levels Jack hammer 120 Jet plane taking off 150