Once hearing is damaged, it often can’t be restored. Knowing how to care for your ears can help you maintain your hearing for a lifetime.

Depending on the work you do and the recreational pursuits you enjoy, you could be exposing yourself to dangerous noise levels that could impair your hearing.

For example, repeated exposure to loud music, gunshots, boat engines, or heavy machinery could permanently damage your hearing ability.

Learning how to care for your ears can help you maintain your hearing for years to come.

Avoid Noise
Loud noise can impair your hearing. As a rule of thumb, if you need to shout to be heard over noise, it’s probably loud enough to damage your hearing.

To protect your ears:

• Wear earplugs or earmuffs when using lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and power tools.
• Avoid excessive volume when using stereos, home theater systems, and car audio systems.
• Adjust the volume of personal stereos and MP3 players to a low level. Be aware that earbuds and other headsets can put your hearing at risk in a short period of time, even when used at moderate volumes.
• Wear earplugs at rock concerts, nightclubs, and motor-sports events.

Recognize Hearing Loss
Hearing loss can occur suddenly, but it most often appears gradually over time, making it difficult to detect until the loss is significant.

If you have any of these signs of hearing loss, see your doctor:

• Difficulty hearing conversations, especially in the presence of background noise
• Frequently asking others to repeat what they’ve said
• Misunderstanding what people say
• Difficulty hearing on the telephone
• Requiring the television or radio volume to be louder than others in the room prefer
• Feeling that people are mumbling
• Straining to hear

If you experience sudden hearing loss, swelling, pain, or drainage from the ear canal, see a doctor right away.

For more information, visit the Cleveland Clinic at www.myclevelandclinic.org and search for “ear care.”

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