Heeding the signs of hearing loss

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Written by Christina Hession

Wednesday, 31 January 2007

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Heeding the signs of hearing loss
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Ringing in the ears is called tinnitus. This common condition is sometimes loud enough to interfere with everyday life. A doctor's advice should always be sought. The use of a properly prescribed hearing aid can help mask the ringing noise. If one has a build up of wax in the ears, do not attempt to remove it yourself. A doctor can easily do this on a regular GP visit.

An indication that the surrounding noise levels are too loud is if you can't talk to people in the region of two metres away without shouting. Another sign is if you've been to a club or concert and found that you cannot hear properly for a few hours afterwards, or if you experience ringing in your ears. If the level of the sound hurts your ears, take care by leaving.

Prolonged exposure to over 80 decibels can damage your ears. An indication of noise levels are as follows: quiet room at night (20 decibels), a quiet sitting room (40 decibels), ordinary spoken conversation (60 decibels), shouting (80 decibels), pneumatic drill nearby (110 decibels), aeroplane taking off 100 metres away (130 decibels) and the threshold at which noise is painful (140 decibels).

Key indicators of hearing loss include having to turn up the television when other people find it too loud, having problems picking up cross conversation, or dismissing conversations as not important. A simple do-it-yourself test gives some indication if a further test is required.

Do you strain to hear when you are in company? Have you ever asked others to speak up? Has background noise e.g. traffic or TV prevented you from hearing a conversation clearly? Do you find that TV or radio needs to be louder these days? Do you find a particular type of sound e.g. female voices more difficult to recognise than others? Do you often ask others to repeat themselves?

Young people are prone to damaging their hearing through exposure to loud noise, especially in discos, clubs and MP3 players/ipods. The effects build up gradually and may not be noticed until years later. One should take regular breaks from the dance floor or loud music. Stand away from speakers, find a place to dance away from the speakers and use chill out areas to give your ears a rest from loud music. Wear earplugs if you can and keep your MP3 player that little bit lower.

Companies are legally obliged to ensure that exposure to noise in the workplace is kept to the lowest level reasonably practicable and that workers are protected in noisy work environments. Those who are concerned about work noise levels can find out more about their rights on the Health and Safety website www.hsa.ie.

Disposable and reusable earplugs, which expand to fit the ear, are available through Hidden Hearing clinics and pharmacies nationwide. The 'Have You Heard' leaflet will be available by calling free phone 1800 882 884, emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and through GPs or Hidden Hearing clinics nationwide.

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