Monthly Archives: January 2010

Are DIY Weekend Warriors Risking Their Hearing?

Posted on by

What did you do this weekend? Any home projects? Did you set tile or build a garden fence? Tackling home projects over the weekend, also known as the “Do It Yourself” approach may save a bit of money, but are these brave warriors risking their hearing in the process?

Perhaps. According to Deafness Research UK, some power tools can reach decibel levels that would require hearing protection at the workplace. Unfortunately, people at home may not take this seriously. If you’ve never had a job where hearing protection was required, you might not know about the risks of noise-induced hearing loss.

If you are exposed to decibel levels above 85 for an extended period of time, you may be damaging your ears. Tiny little hair like cilia line the inner ear. They are responsible for receiving noise vibrations and sending these signals to the brain where they are interpreted. When loud noises damage these cilia, they cannot be repaired by the body. Overtime, this can lead to permanent, irreversible hearing damage. Continue reading →

Do You Hear All Noises?

Posted on by

In a recent blog post, I commented on a failed lawsuit against Apple for hearing damage associated with the use of the iPod ear buds. In reading the warning found in the iPod manual, it made me think about something. Here’s the excerpt:

“You can adapt over time to a higher volume of sound, which may sound normal but can be damaging to your hearing. Set your iPod volume to a safe level before that happens. If you experience ringing in your ears, reduce the volume or discontinue use of your iPod.”

They made a very good point that we may not realize noise levels are high when we become used to the sound. If you think about the way our bodies work and how we have built-in mechanisms meant to keep us safe, this is an interesting flaw. Continue reading →

Don’t Blame Apple iPod for Hearing Loss

Posted on by

Well, I suppose you could try, but not for any amount of money. A court in the U.S. (San Francisco) ruled in favour of Apple in a lawsuit filed in an attempt to blame Apple for hearing loss caused by the iPod ear buds. The plaintiff wanted a sum for damages and for the court to order that Apple improved its ear buds to prevent hearing damage. Hmmm…

While it’s quite true that any personal music device can cause hearing damage, the volume control allows the user to determine the decibel level. So, in my personal opinion, it was a fair judgement, especially since Apple includes a warning that states permanent hearing damage can occur if the “ear buds or headphones are used at high volume.”

Furthermore, the manual also reads, “You can adapt over time to a higher volume of sound, which may sound normal but can be damaging to your hearing. Set your iPod volume to a safe level before that happens. If you experience ringing in your ears, reduce the volume or discontinue use of your iPod.” Continue reading →

Treating Tinnitus

Posted on by

Around 10-15% of adults globally have tinnitus requiring medical evaluation and treatment. The problem is there aren’t any clearly successful treatments for everyone who suffers from this annoying to debilitating disorder and much research and studies are needed to figure out how to treat tinnitus. For now, it’s best to do everything you can to avoid damage or further damage.

Tinnitus is a condition in which the person suffering hears ringing in their ears. It’s an internal ringing that causes distraction, sleep disturbances and sometimes pain. For some, tinnitus is mild and merely annoying. For others, the symptoms can become so frequent and painful that it truly interferes with their lives. Continue reading →

So, We DON’T Have to Give Up Joe?

Posted on by

Tinnitus affects 15% or around half a million people in the U.K. It is a painful ringing in the ears caused by damage to the cilia in the ear canal from loud noises or repeated exposure to noise. In some cases, it’s merely a distraction whereas serious cases can be extremely painful and debilitating as it disrupts life and diminishes the quality of living.

For a long time now, the common belief in the medical industry was that caffeine irritated the symptoms of tinnitus, leaving many practitioners advising tinnitus patient to limit or cease their caffeine consumption. Now, we might be finding out that this was useless advice. Continue reading →

What’s Your Favourite Sound and Least Favourite Noise?

Posted on by

Have you ever considered why we use the word “sound” to describe a noise we like and the word “noise” to describe a sound we detest? Think about “What’s that beautiful sound?” versus “Where is THAT noise coming from?”

Perhaps I’ve had a bit too much “thinking” time on my hands with the children back in school after the holiday break. Nevertheless, I thought I might share some of my favourite sounds with you as well as the ones that send me running for my noise earplugs!

My 10 Favourite Sounds

Continue reading →

Did You Know That Stress Can Make You Fat?

Posted on by

Stress is one of those things we all have, and most of us realize we just have to “deal” with it. We can’t avoid it 100%. We can’t just take vacation after vacation. And even if you could… even if you had unlimited financial abilities, there are still stressful situations. Mentally and emotionally, stress takes its toll on all of us, but what about physically?

You’ve probably heard of the effect stress has on your heart health. You may have even heard about stress making you more susceptible to colds, flu and infection due to its ability to decrease immunity. Did you know that it could be making you fat? Continue reading →

Stop Snoring!

Posted on by

Do you snore? What about others in your household? If you or a loved one snores, it may be more than a minor annoyance. Let’s look at the facts behind snoring.

The basic mechanism of snoring is a partial obstruction of the airway by soft tissue at the back of the throat. When the person falls asleep, soft tissue at the back of the throat falls over the trachea. The snoring noise you hear is the rattle of the soft tissue.

A person who suffers from sleep apnea will actually stop breathing for a short time until they are startled awake by the lack of oxygen. If you ever hear your partner make gasping noises followed by a loud snort sound, this is probably what’s occurred.

Continue reading →

Earplugs for All: Men, Women, Children

Posted on by

One-size does not necessarily fit all when it comes to earplugs! The good news is there are plenty of choices so everyone’s ears will be protected from permanent hearing loss.

Men’s Earplugs

For the most part, men can use standard size earplugs. Whether you need shooter’s earplugs, sports earplugs, work earplugs or sleep earplugs, there are plenty of choices. For those who need earplugs on a regular basis, reusable earplugs are a cost-effective way to ensure you have protection available at all times. If you are unsure which foam earplugs you should buy, you can purchase Macks and Moldex Sample pack.

ProGuard makes custom earplugs, so even if you have difficult to fit ear canals, you’ll be able to enjoy comfortable earplugs designed specifically for your ears. Continue reading →