Prevention, early detection can stave off hearing loss

Are your earbuds and headphones putting you at risk?

Approximately 48 million Americans suffer some degree of hearing loss, but people wait an average of seven years after the onset of symptoms before seeking out help, according to the Hearing Loss Association of America. 

October is National Protect Your Hearing Month and local hearing specialists hope people take heed to address current hearing issues and prevent future ones. 

Jodi Foster is a board certified hearing instrument specialist with Florida Eye Associates and she says that while genetics or illness can lead to problems, a more common culprit is noise-induced hearing loss. 

“The excessive use of headphones and earbuds are contributing to increased hearing problems, even for young people,” Foster said. 

Liz White is a board certified doctor of audiology and the owner of Harbor City Hearing Solutions. She agrees that noise exposure is a major factor in hearing health.

“The number of people I see using lawn equipment or blaring their car stereos without hearing protection is incredibly high,” White said. 

Hearing problems are not always linear, though. White says that she often sees patients who pass normal sound tests but who still report difficulty hearing — a disorder known as hidden hearing loss. 

“Noise is all around us so I test everyone in noise that emulates a real-life environment because it gives me a better understanding of their real-world issues and treatment options,” White said. 

White soon will begin offering testing for auditory processing disorder, a condition where comprehension of sounds are not fully absorbed by the brain. She suffers from the disorder herself. 

“I have such difficulty hearing in environments with distracting sounds or poor acoustics,” White said. 

For people wanting to make healthy hearing choices, preventative checkups at age 50 are a start, unless hearing issues crop up earlier.

“No two cases of hearing loss are the same. Whatever your challenges, the first step is an accurate diagnosis of your form of hearing loss, along with an assessment of how severe it is and what can be done to treat it,” Foster said. 

Everyday habits should also be examined. White suggests avoiding cotton swabs in the ear canal and using hearing protection for yard work and other high-volume scenarios. 

Foster offers a 60/60 rule for her patients when it comes to listening to music. 

“Keep the volume at 60 percent of its maximum volume, for only 60 minutes per day,” Foster said. 

There is also a connection between obesity and hearing loss, Fosters says, suggesting that maintaining a healthy lifestyle overall can help protect hearing health. 

“I really think we take our hearing for granted, we just expect it will always be fine,” White said. “Be aware if you are asking for repetition, turning the volume up, or exhibiting other difficulty. Don’t put off calling a hearing healthcare provider.”

Read more in our Digital Magazine.