In a world filled with excess noise and other hearing risks, the ears are paying the price. The result is a collective damage to hearing in alarming numbers.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 12.5 percent of children and adolescents and 17 percent of adults have suffered permanent hearing damage due to excessive noise. That’s nearly 5.2 million children and 26 million adults.
One of the best ways to prevent hearing loss is to make a few lifestyle changes designed with hearing in mind. Following are four tips to save hearing.
1. Adjust headphone volume.
There’s nothing better than cranking up some rocking tunes during an invigorating workout. However, this popular pastime comes at a price when it comes to preserving precious hearing capabilities.
According to MedlinePlus, ear bud-style headphones may be the problem. They're not designed to eliminate outside noise, so people tend to listen much louder than they should to block external sounds.
To protect ears, make it a habit to keep track of volume levels when it comes to headphones. This means using two general rules of thumb.