Reader's Digest - USA (2019-08)

Health

protectionsuchasearplugsorsafety
earmuffs.
Listeningtomusicthrough
earphonesisa commoncauseof
hearingloss.Manysmartphones
andpersonalplayerscanproduce
soundsof 100 decibelsormore.Some
willwarnyouwhenyouexceedsafe
levels.If yoursdoesn’t,keepit setto
lessthanthemaximumvolume.
Deafeninglyloudnoiseisnotto
blameforallhearingloss,though.
Occasionally,therootoftheproblem
isanunderlyingconditionsuchasa
rupturedeardrum.Inaddition,the
innerearcanalsosimplydeteriorate
asyougetolder,andunfortunately,
there’snorealwaytopreventthis.
If yoususpectyou’velostsome
hearing,seea GPoraudiologist.
A hearingaidcouldimproveyour
abilitiesnoticeably,particularly
whenit’sa questionofpickingup
people’sspeech.
Thetechnolog yitself“cantake
a whiletogetusedtobecause
yourbrainneedstoreadjust,”says
audiologistDrGemmaTwitchen.
“Researchshowsthisismucheasier
if youtakeactionongettingyour
hearingassessedearlyon,whenyou
firstnoticeit reducing.”Hearingaids
areimprovingintermsofcomfort,
soundqualityandappearance–
therearenowtiny,barelynoticeable
modelsavailable.
Anotherpossibleconsequence
ofnoiseexposureorageingis
tinnitus. This phantom ringing,

buzzing,hissingorroaringisoften

causedbythebraincompensating

formissingsoundinputorby

damagedearhaircellssending

randomsignalstoit.Tinnitusmay

goaway,butsomepeopledeal

withit constantlyorintermittently

forlife.Althoughthecondition

affectseachsuffererdifferently,

sleeploss,stress,irritabilityand

troubleconcentratingareamongthe

potentialrepercussions.

If yourtinnituscomeswithhearing

loss– andtheydooftenshowup

together– thena hearingaidcould

easeit bygivingyourbrainexternal

soundstofocuson.Otherpotentially

helpfuldevicesincludesound

generatorsthatemitgentlewhite

noisethatsuppressesthetinnitus.

Thoughthere’snowaytofully

cureage-ornoise-relatedhearing

lossortinnitus,studiesshowthat

addressingtheseconditionsprevents

problemslikesocialisolation,

depressionordementiafrom

developing,mostlikelybyimproving

yourmood,independenceand

ability to interact with others.

IFYOUSUSPECT

YOU’VELOST

SOMEHEARING,

SEEAGPOR

AU DIOLOGIST

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