Tag Archives: hearing loss

Noise ear plugs: Construction workers

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Construction workers are going deaf and are experiencing hearing loss due to exposure to loud sounds on construction sites. One of the reasons to this problem is the lack of hearing protection provided to staff. Other reasons include the level and consistency of loud sounds within the site areas, the lack of noise controls on relevant equipment that is used and the lack of health training on the job.

Ear plugs should be worn when sound levels reach 85dB and over. Wearing noise reduction ear plugs with a high NRR (noise reduction rating) will eliminate the risk of hearing loss.

It can be said that noise levels at construction sites can manage to exceed what is measured as a safe sound. Being subjected to loud sounds for a long period of time can attribute to extreme ear pain and hearing damage.

Noise ear plugs are the ideal solution for construction workers and employees who work in a noisy environment as they provide protection and allow you to work with higher concentration levels.

Hearing loss in children

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Hearing is a critical part of a child’s cognitive learning and with 1 in 3 out of 1,000 babies being affected by hearing loss and deafness, it is extremely important to have your babies hearing screened on a regular basis.

The good news about hearing loss in small children is that it can be treated if it is caught early, preferably before they are 3 months old, however some are not treated quickly enough. Hearing loss in children can occur due to a number of reasons such as:

  • Born prematurely
  • Stayed in the neonatal intensive care unit
  • Had high bilirub requiring a transfusion
  • Had frequent ear infections
  • Exposed to very loud sounds even for a brief duration.

Children are very sensitive when it comes to loud sounds and being exposed to deafening noises. Even at an extremely young stage of life hearing is imperial for children’s learning. The best way to protect your children’s hearing is to use earplugs designed specifically for them. These earplugs cannot be used for babies, but are ideal for young children who are learning to swim and who are exposed to damaging noises.

When my children were growing up, I made sure they always wore these children earplugs to prevent them from getting any infections such as swimmers ear. Children’s hearing is extremely important and I felt I had to make sure they were protected in times when it was very loud such as days out when we went to see plays.

How Will Hearing Loss Affect Your Relationships?

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I mentioned this a few blogs ago: Earplugs now or hearing aids later! I’ll add to that: Earplugs now or divorce later? Studies show that marriages are negatively affected by hearing loss. Though there may be times you wish you couldn’t hear your spouse, consider how important communication truly is in a marriage.

Many marital problems have everything to do with a lack of communication between spouses. Feelings of resentment might build when emotions are held back. Frustration may build when one spouse feels the other is ignoring requests. So, when communication is thwarted with an actual physical inability to hear the other person, you can imagine how much this augments the situation. Continue reading →

Hearing Protection for Tweens?

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Tweens are kids who are in between childhood and “teenhood” ages 8-12. My daughter falls in this category (almost 11). It’s a difficult age as they transition from playing with toys to thinking about boys. And the boys are very much over the “girl’s are icky” stage as well. It’s at this time when we start worrying about the big talks as well as other soon-to-be issues such as avoiding drug use, alcohol etc. We still want them to wear their bike helmets, even though they are more concerned about how the helmet will mess up their hair. Do we really have the time to worry about yet another issue such as hearing loss?

Well, we’d better because with all the noise in their world, many of our tweens could end up with irreversible noise-related hearing loss. They have iPods and other portable music devices, handheld video games and gaming consoles hooked up to surround sound. They will soon be attending more gymnasiums to watch sporting events that can reach very high decibel levels. Rock concerts may be a bit in the future, but with more and more musicians targeting this age group, you may be closer to a Miley Cyrus concert than you think! Continue reading →

Humorous Take on Serious Quiz

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After reading through questions on a hearing loss quiz from an article in U.S. News, my strange sense of humour kicked in and I had to comment on some of the questions. Yes, hearing loss is a serious subject and I highly advocate (as you know) the use of hearing protection. However, in a world so full of serious stuff, let’s take a break and have a bit of a laugh! Well, I hope you do, anyway!

If you take the hearing loss quiz and answer yes to more than three questions, you may have some amount of hearing loss. I was thinking, though, that many of the questions could have another reason or answer. Here’s my take. Continue reading →

Are You Genetically Predisposed to Hearing Loss?

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It’s a typical image of an elderly person, the old guy with his hand cupped over his ear saying “Speak up, I can’t hear you lad!” But not all folks lose their hearing merely from aging. Could this be due to genetics?

Neurotologists at the House Ear Clinic in Los Angeles, CA have identified a gene that is responsible for glutamate regulation, which may be one cause of hearing loss in the elderly. Glutamate, apparently, is a necessary neurotransmitter in the ear, but some people produce too much glutamate and this then damages sensory cells and neurons in the ear causing hearing loss. Continue reading →