Every year, May is recognized as Better Hearing Month, but what about the other eleven months? At Advanced Hearing Group, we believe that better hearing means living well – all year long. Let’s look at how hearing plays a role in 4 key areas of your life; at work, at play, in public, and at home.
Protect your ears at work
According to some sources, the average person will spend approximately 90,000 hours at work over his or her lifetime. Every effort should be made to ensure that your work adds to your quality of life, not subtracting from it. If your career involves regular exposure to loud noise, you need to wear the appropriate hearing protection. By doing so, you can minimize the risk of temporary or permanent hearing loss. Just remember that what works for one individual doesn’t always work for all. It is important to seek the advice of an audiologist to determine what is appropriate for your life and workplace.
Protect your ears at play
All work and no play makes for a dull life – it’s healthy to add a little fun to the mix. When attending recreational events such as concerts or fireworks, it’s important to take the level of noise into consideration. By planning ahead you can determine if you should bring hearing protection. With the average country music concert producing over 100 decibels of sound (in general, sounds above 85 dB are potentially harmful), a rock concert coming in at over 120 dB, and fireworks booming at 150-175 dB, it’s important to pay attention to where you go, where you sit in relation to the sound source, and whether or not you’re prepared to protect your ears.
Better hearing in public
For some, living well might include going out to eat occasionally. For individuals with a hearing impairment, however, a trip to a restaurant can be confusing, with noises coming from any direction, at any time, and sometimes all at once. The stress of a dinner out can be reduced by thoughtful planning and by asking the right questions.
Asking to be seated away from places of high traffic volume can greatly reduce the amount of background noise. Also, sitting at an out-of-the-way place such as a corner booth can make it easier to hear the conversation around the table. Even if it means having to wait a few extra minutes for the right spot to become available, it might be worth the effort.
Enjoy your family time
Whether spending an afternoon with your spouse, or having the grandkids come for a weekend visit, quality family moments are an important part of living well, and an integral part of family time is being able to engage in meaningful conversation. This includes being able to hear well. For an individual with hearing loss, this often means having the right hearing aid. An audiologist will be able to determine the hearing device that will best match a person’s lifestyle and their specific type of hearing loss, resulting in more meaningful social interactions with family and friends.
Whether at work or play, in public or at home, hearing well can mean the difference between just existing and really living. Give us a call today and take the first step toward making exceptional hearing a priority in your life.
You might also enjoy It’s Time to Tell Your Parents They Need Hearing Aids.
