PREVENT HEARING LOSS --TOP TEN TIPS

Hearing loss is most common in people over the age of 65 years. This is because the very small hair cells within the inner ear become less receptive to the vibrations of the sound waves reaching them. There is now, more recently, a greater number of much younger people suffering from hearing loss which in many cases could have been avoided.

1. Avoid loud noises. In this modern age many young people have personal stereo systems plugged into their ears. The volume is usually turned up to high. By reducing the volume it will protect the delicate parts of the ear.

2. Wear some form of ear protection when attending discos or pop concerts where music is usually played at a very high sound level. Very small ear plugs are available that fit into the ear channel and are hardly noticeable avoiding the embarrassment of wearing highly visible ear protectors.

3. Avoid working next to machinery that is very noisy without ear protection. These have to be provided by the Company who must check that they are being used.

4. Wear ear protectors when using power tools, lawn mowers or other DIY equipment especially if they are being used very often over long periods of time.

5 Wear a head protector if playing physical sports where head contact may occur. This includes sports such as Rugby, cycling, boxing etc. Damage to the head may result in damage to the ears which can result in hearing loss.

6 Do not remove ear wax by putting any instrument into the ear. Wax should only be removed by a GP or by a product that will dissolve the wax.

7 Avoid getting an infection in the ears by keeping them clean. If infection in the ears occurs, early treatment is very important in order that permanent damage is avoided. Consult your GP at the earliest possible time to prevent the infection spreading and doing permanent damage.

8 Do not put objects in the ear including cotton tipped swabs. These can very easily damage the ear drum or introduce infection causing some hearing loss.

9 Make sure that any medication that has been prescribed does not affect the ears. Consult your doctor if these symptoms occur so he can offer an alternative medicine.

10 Treat any sudden deafness immediately by consulting your GP. It could be caused by infection, stroke, and trauma to the head. If it is not treated quickly it could result in permanent hearing loss. Hearing loss can affect a person life in a number of ways and therefore the quicker the reasons for the loss are established the sooner appropriate action can be taken.