Is Your Hearing at Risk?

There are many aspects of our health we need to manage, from keeping our cholesterol and blood sugar in check to getting recommended screenings for cancer and heart disease. One important part of our health and wellbeing we may not always think about, though, is our hearing. Regina Presley, Au.D., FAAA, CCC/A, senior cochlear implant audiologist at the Presbyterian Board of Governors Cochlear Implant Center of Excellence at GBMC, shared information about hearing loss, how it can impact your wellbeing, and what you can do to lower your risk of hearing problems.

“Most hearing loss is caused by consistent exposure to loud noise, which irreparably damages the hair cells in the ear,” explained Dr. Presley. “This is partially due to the popularity of in-ear headphones and other devices we use when we’re listening to music and videos or using platforms like Zoom.”

In addition to loud noise, loss of hearing can also be caused by any health conditions that restrict blood flow, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and kidney issues.

When you think about hearing loss, you probably think of it as a problem that older people face. But hearing loss can and does affect people of all ages. In fact, recently a much larger number of teenagers have been diagnosed with hearing loss.

There’s another important reason to protect your hearing. Loss of hearing also impacts your cognitive health. Dr. Presley emphasized that patients often don’t realize how hard they must work when hearing loss is in play. Having to compensate for hearing loss can be exhausting work and, over time, it causes patients to become disconnected from the world around them.

How do you know if you or someone you care about may have hearing loss? Some indicators include needing to ask people to repeat what they said more frequently, difficulty hearing during phone conversations, and family members expressing concerns about your hearing.

Fortunately, there are many ways to prevent and treat gradual hearing loss and monitor your hearing health. If you are listening to music, Dr. Presley recommended keeping the volume level at 60% and giving yourself a break every 60 minutes. If you’re attending a concert, you should wear ear protection to help lower the volume.

She also suggested downloading an app on your phone that allows you to perform a brief hearing test. You should test your hearing every year or if you have a concern. If your score is higher than 20, visit an audiologist for further testing and treatment.

“Hearing health is so important,” Dr. Presley said. “It connects us to the world around us and it impacts our overall health. So, make protecting your hearing a priority. The earlier we detect a problem, the more we can do to help.”