{"id":3048,"date":"2020-06-17T10:54:41","date_gmt":"2020-06-17T14:54:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/speechandhearingassoc.fm1.dev\/protect-your-hearing-this-summer\/"},"modified":"2020-06-17T10:54:41","modified_gmt":"2020-06-17T14:54:41","slug":"protect-your-hearing-this-summer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/speechandhearingassoc.com\/protect-your-hearing-this-summer\/","title":{"rendered":"Protect Your Hearing This Summer"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summer is here! And so are the fireworks, concerts, music festivals, motorized sports, and more.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a great time for fun. But it\u2019s also extremely important to be smart about protecting your hearing.<\/p>\n

Remember, the single bang of a firecracker at close range can permanently damage hearing in an instant. And any sounds at or above\u00a085 dBA\u00a0for a\u00a0prolonged period of time<\/a>\u00a0can be unsafe.\u00a0\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cTemporary\u201d hearing loss after loud events and activities quickly adds up, with repeat noise exposure leading to permanent hearing loss\u2014and there\u2019s no cure for that.<\/p>\n

Millennials and teens especially should think twice. Data analyzed by the World Health Organization (WHO<\/a>) indicate that among these age groups (12 to 35 years), nearly 50 percent are exposed to unsafe levels of sound from the use of personal audio devices, and around 40 percent are exposed to potentially damaging levels of sound at entertainment venues. And teens are increasingly experiencing tinnitus\u2014which tends to be a symptom of hearing loss\u2014according to a\u00a0study published in\u00a0Scientific Reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But you can have fun and be \u201chearing smart\u201d at the same time.<\/p>\n

Here is a shortlist of six easy hacks for protecting your hearing:<\/p>\n

Use earplugs:<\/u>\u00a0<\/strong>When you know you\u2019ll be around loud sounds, use earplugs. Speech & Hearing Associates carries disposable earplugs, stop by our office to pick up a free pair! They\u2019re practical because you can still hear music and conversation when they\u2019re in your ears. But when they fit snugly, they help block out dangerously loud sounds. In fact, one\u00a0study<\/a>, carried out in conjunction with an outdoor music festival in Amsterdam, found that festival-goers who wore earplugs were about\u00a0five<\/a>\u00a0times less likely to have some temporary hearing loss than those who didn\u2019t wear them. The earplug-users also were less likely to experience ringing in the ears (tinnitus) afterwards.<\/p>\n

Be smart celebrating the 4th of July:<\/u><\/strong>\u00a0Leave the fireworks to the professionals. And when watching the show, stay a safe distance away\u2014where you can enjoy the colors and lights but not expose yourself and your family to the loud sounds. Wear earplugs, and make sure they\u2019re securely in place before the show begins. Also, keep them in for the entire show.<\/p>\n

Walk away and plug your ears:<\/u><\/strong>\u00a0If a loud noise takes you by surprise, quickly plug your ears with your fingers and walk away. Increasing the distance between you and the source of the sound helps reduce the intensity (or decibels) at which the sound reaches your ears.<\/p>\n

Limit your time in noisy environments:<\/u><\/strong>\u00a0Do all you can to limit the length of time you spend in a noisy environment. When you do participate in noisy activities, alternate them with periods of quiet, to give your ears a rest. And remember to use ear protection.<\/p>\n

Turn it down:<\/u>\u00a0<\/strong>When listening to smartphones and audio electronics, keep them at a low volume. And be sure to limit your use of headphones and ear buds. Remember, it\u2019s not just the volume that matters. It\u2019s also the amount of time spent listening.<\/p>\n

Visit Speech & Hearing Associates\u00a0for custom-fit ear protection and a hearing test:<\/u><\/strong>\u00a0Our doctors of audiology have an average of 15 years of clinical experience and can provide a hearing test to determine your baseline hearing level and determine if you have any hearing loss that should be addressed. We also\u00a0provide custom ear protection to ensure a proper fit. You also can take our free, confidential, online hearing check\u00a0to determine if you need a comprehensive hearing test.<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summer is here! And so are the fireworks, concerts, music festivals, motorized sports, and more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/speechandhearingassoc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3048"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/speechandhearingassoc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/speechandhearingassoc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/speechandhearingassoc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/speechandhearingassoc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3048"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/speechandhearingassoc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3048\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/speechandhearingassoc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3048"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/speechandhearingassoc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3048"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/speechandhearingassoc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3048"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}