Aging has long been associated with hearing loss, and the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders notes that age-related hearing loss can arise from changes in the inner ear as the body ages. However, hearing loss can affect people of all ages, including the very young.
Some hearing losses are preventable. There are steps everyone can take to protect their hearing and reduce their risk for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), such as switching from earbuds to over-the-ear headphones. The Cleveland Clinic noted that over-the-ear headphones encase the ear and are often more effective at canceling outside noise. When outside noise is canceled out, wearers will not need to increase the headphone volume in order to hear their music.
Listening at lower volumes is a great way to protect hearing and prevent NIHL. Audiologist Sharon A. Sandridge of the Head and Neck Institute at the Cleveland Clinic, notes that volume levels are too high on an individual's headphones if people standing at arm's length can hear the music.
Another way to avoid NIHL is to purchase activity-specific headphones, earplugs, or earmuffs. These products are designed to block out specific noises, such as from backpack leaf blowers or hunting rifles, and could therefore offer hearing loss protection.
Age-related hearing loss may not be preventable. However, individuals can protect themselves from NIHL, and efforts to do so should begin at a young age and continue throughout adulthood.
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