Why is Ear Protection Important?

Ear protection is an important way to protect hearing during a variety of activities. Any sound carrying over 85 decibels can damage the hearing, especially with repeated exposure. Being aware of the activities that endanger your hearing and using ear protection when taking part in them is a must.

Everybody is different, which means if a noise is hurting your ears, regardless of the decibels, you should be using ear protection. You shouldn’t wait until you experience pain, either, as this indicates that damage may already be occurring inside of your ear.

Activities that can require ear protection

Each of the activities below can exceed 85 decibels.

• Boating
• Motorcycling
• Jet skiing
• Playing an instrument
• Listening to music
• Attending concerts
• Noisy work environments
• Using a lawn mower
• Sporting events
• Leaf blowing
• Using power tools
• Heavy city traffic

It’s likely that most people will do one of the above at some point. Having ear protection prepared for these occasions should be considered a must to keep ears healthy and avoid future issues.

Hearing loss is irreversible

Hearing loss is usually irreversible, and usually only treatable with the help of a hearing aid. While hearing aids are certainly effective and can be discreet, it should be a priority to preserve your hearing ability.

Hearing loss comes hand in hand with other issues

Hearing loss and ear damage come hand in hand with other issues. Your physical and mental health can be seriously affected if your ears become damaged because of repeated noise exposure.

Your balance may suffer, and you may suffer uncomfortable tinnitus and pulsating in your ears. Many people with ear problems also suffer from depression and a number of mental health issues. Communicating with people becomes very difficult, and some even find it embarrassing to ask people to continually repeat themselves. Audiologists recommend that everybody invest in ear protection so that there’s no temptation to just go without.

It’s cheaper than remedying the problem later

If you suffer from a problem in your ear caused by loud noises and have to remedy the issue later, your treatment will cost more than simply purchasing earplugs. It is far easier to invest in ear protection to stay ahead of noise-induced hearing loss.

An experienced audiologist can advise you on the best ear protection for your situation and how often you should be using it. Contact an audiologist today to protect your ears and hearing in the long term.