“Hearing damage? That is something for the elderly…” At least that is what is often thought, but the opposite is true. Hearing damage can indeed come into play with old age, but young people also regularly have to deal with hearing damage. More often than you think, because one in four young people suffers hearing damage! This is because they do not or not sufficiently protect their hearing against prolonged loud noise, such as at concerts, discotheques or festivals.
Hearing damage due to old age cannot be prevented, but hearing damage due to exposure to long-term loud noise can be. Fortunately, because that means that you may still be in time to sound the alarm and take the necessary measures. And that is very important, because hearing damage may be preventable, but unfortunately not curable. You can of course purchase a hearing aid that will amplify your hearing, but it will not really heal.
Signs of hearing damage
Do you suspect that you have suffered hearing damage yourself, but are you not sure? You can recognize it by the following symptoms, among other things:
– Difficulty following a conversation in combination with buzz.
– A constant ringing in your ears, or ringing in your ears. This is also known as 'tinnitus'.
– Notice that you have to turn up the TV/radio/telephone louder and louder in order to understand or follow it. Maybe you don't realize this yourself, but maybe your environment does. To keep an eye on it yourself, you can try to remember at which volume setting you always watch TV and determine whether you have to turn the sound up over time or not.
Does one or more of the above descriptions apply to you? Then it is wise to do a no-obligation hearing test with a hearing care professional such as Schoonenberg. In addition, it is – actually for everyone – sensible and interesting to do an online hearing test, just to be sure! Because, we can't say it often enough:hearing damage cannot be cured!
Do you want to do everything you can to prevent hearing damage? Then make sure you switch on the volume limiter on your smartphone, laptop or headphones so that you never listen to music that is too loud. In addition, it is wise to always wear earplugs when you visit a concert, disco or festival. Even if you think you are going to a 'quiet concert', because that can also sound louder live than you are used to at home. Especially when you're standing close to the loudspeakers.
