Study Finds Over 50% of Workers Exposed to Noise Do Not Use Protection

Hearing Loss is More Common than You May Know

Hearing loss affects far more people than many people might expect. It is an invisible disability; you cannot tell from looking at someone if they suffer from it. And it can happen to anyone. Less than three out of every 1,000 people are born with congenital hearing loss, but a full 13% of the US population suffers from it to some degree. Disabling hearing loss is not one simple binary, a box to check or not. It refers to a spectrum in which each person’s situation is unique. One may be completely deaf in one or both ears or endure slightly muddled clarity in one or both ears. Every combination within this range is a hazard to overall health. Prevention and treatment for every variation of these conditions are essential.

Who Hearing Loss Impacts & How

Disabling hearing loss becomes more and more common as the population ages and no one is immune to it. All genders and races and socioeconomic classes are all equally vulnerable to harm if the exposure is equal. Of those in the US aged 18-44, over 6% live with it to some degree. Between the ages of 45-64, this percentage increases to 13.6%. Almost 27% of those 65 and older suffer from it and by the age of 75, a full half of all people suffer from it.

Proximity to shockingly loud volumes such as an explosion or gunfire can cause sudden hearing loss. This loss can be permanent or temporary, but either way, because it is instantaneous the difference is apparent, so the sufferer is likely to seek treatment. The violent blast has damaged either the eardrum, the fine hairs, or minuscule bones within the ear that our sense of hearing depends on.

But much more commonly, this same damage happens not suddenly with a violent blast, but gradually. The damage accrues imperceptibly as the result of repeated and sustained exposure to dangerous volume levels. The harm is more tricky to recognize because it increases so gradually. Because of this, the victims are less often motivated to take preventative action. Their sense of hearing is normalized, as is the injurious habit.

Some popular social activities present a risk over time, such as loud concerts or shrieking arenas of sports fans. But however habitual a social activity may be, because it is set apart to some degree from our day-to-day routines, people are a little more likely to take appropriate preventative measures. Among the greatest risks are professions in which dangerous volumes become normalized. Some examples of such professions include construction, landscaping, factory workers, the music industry, flight crews, farmers, ambulance drivers, and people who work in loud restaurants and nightclubs.

Of course, many people within these industries form good preventative habits. But according to studies, over half of the people that work within industries that pose obvious risks, do not use proper protection. Within some industries these bad habits make sense. Within the music industry for example, in which the sound itself is the point, not a side effect, the codes of rebellion are part of the allure. People are encouraged to flaunt bad habits. and wearing earplugs muddles the music. But within other professions, such as factory workers or construction, many people might not take the precautionary measures we might expect, but the psychological motivation is simple to understand: because the exposure is routine, it becomes normalized. and the damage that is happening is so subtle it is not recognizable from one day to the next. So there is never one climactic and decisive moment inspiring one to change their habits. Not to mention they see all their coworkers living with the risk, so why should they be any different?

Preventions and Their Benefits

The preventative measures are so simple, comfortable, and affordable that one has no excuse to take unnecessary risks. Simply getting in the habit of wearing earplugs can change the course of one’s quality of life in the long run. Common consumer earplugs reduce decibel levels by 15-30 dB. This is a massive difference, fundamentally changing the exposure time that is healthy to remain in proximity to loud volumes. Fitted protective earmuffs can be even more effective.

Hearing loss, however minor and manageable it may seem, quickly spirals into hurting one’s overall health. If you or someone you love works in an industry that poses a risk to your hearing, break those bad habits today. You can guarantee you feel connected to family and friends the same as you always have and continue to do so for years to come. Make an appointment with one of our specialists today.