Are earplugs really that important? How can something so small, inexpensive earplugs make such a big impact on a persons life as to improve the quality? We worry about many areas of health, yet tend to neglect our hearing health. The fact is, hearing loss is very prevalent and common in aging as well as in younger adults who are exposed to loud music via music venues, iPods and handheld gaming devices.
Think about it this way, most factory workers exposed to noise on a regular basis protect their hearing through the use of work earplugs, but you might be exposed to similar noises in the course of a day and never protect your hearing. Turn up an iPod to full blast (as many teens do) and you have the equivalent of listening to heavy machinery. Many common noises are just as dangerous as industrial noises: mowing the lawn, listening to a concert, music in a club, childrens toys.
So, its fair to say that many of us could expect to have some amount of hearing loss by the time we reach middle adulthood. This in turn could affect the quality of our lives and those around you. You might not be able to enjoy music anymore or other beautiful sounds; however, hearing loss affects even more than simple pleasures.
Consider a research study by the National Counsel on the Aging (U.S.) in which 2000 people with hearing loss were treated with hearing aid devices. After the participants hearing was improved, they had an increase in the following areas:
Earning power
Communication in relationships
Intimacy and warmth in family relationships
Ease in communication
Emotional stability
Sense of control over life events
Perception of mental functioning
Physical health
Group social participation
There was also a reduction in the following negative factors of hearing loss:
Discrimination toward the person with the hearing loss
Hearing loss compensation behaviors (i.e. pretending you hear)
Anger and frustration in relationships
Depression and depressive symptoms
Feelings of paranoia
Anxiety
Social phobias
Self-criticism
However, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, right? So, while I feel it is extremely important for those with hearing loss to be evaluated and treated by an audiologist, I think its even more important for the rest of us to wake up and start protecting our hearing and our childrens hearing now rather than trying to fix it later.
Cheers!
Meghan