4 Signs You Need to Use Ear Protection

Hearing loss can result from not wearing the correct ear protection in certain circumstances. Hearing loss commonly happens to those who work in loud environments, but other people may expose themselves to risky circumstances without realizing it. If you’re suffering from noise-induced hearing loss, the sensitive components inside your ear suffered damage when you were exposed to sound. With hearing loss, the auditory signals sent to the brain are too weak for it to pick up. The sensory cells that transform these waves into sound become damaged, and hearing loss is the result. This is a problem that affects millions of people each year. Knowing the signs that point to hearing loss is important, and can help you to prevent further damage. Here are four important signs to pay attention to:

Having to shout to be heard

If you find yourself having to shout often because of the environments you are working in, it means that the background noise is too loud. Airport staff, for example, often have to work in noisy environments and use hearing protection, shouting when they need to communicate, especially when standing near the aircraft.

You have to whisper to be heard

On the opposite end of the spectrum, even whispering to be heard can point to needing hearing protection. If you have to whisper to be heard, there’s a high chance that the noise around you is loud enough to mask conversation, which means you could need hearing protection. Musicians, for instance, have special earplugs that protect their ears from the music while still allowing them to communicate.

You have tinnitus often

Tinnitus, or a ringing in your ears, is a sign of temporary hearing loss. This is common among people with permanent loss of hearing, and can very annoying and sometimes even painful.  Tinnitus is something you must take seriously, especially if it is happening on a regular basis.

You ask people to repeat themselves, often

Perhaps you’re already having issues hearing certain things with temporary hearing loss. It can take hours for somebody who has abused their ears to begin hearing properly again, and this is a big sign that hearing protection is needed before it’s too late. Permanent damage may have already been done to the ears at this point, so seeing a hearing specialist is vital to assess the damage. It isn’t just people who work in industrial environments that need ear protection. Other loud environments like clubs, and even using headphones on a regular basis can mean you need to start taking better care of your ears. You can get earmuffs, earplugs and other kinds of ear protection depending on your needs. A hearing health professional will be able to advise you on what’s best for your situation. If you’re unsure of whether your environment is dangerous or not, ask your employer to test the sound level. If it’s over 85 decibels, you should be using ear protection at work.