Hearing loss can range from mild to profound and can be temporary or permanent. Depending on the cause, once hearing is damaged, it often can’t be restored by any means, including hearing aids.

These strategies can help protect your hearing.

• Avoid exposure to loud noise by getting rid of the noise or leaving the area. If you need to shout to be heard over noise, you may damage your hearing.
• Always wear ear protection—earplugs or earmuffs—when you can’t avoid loud noise; for example, when using a power saw or leaf blower.
• When using stereos and home-theater systems, avoid excessive volume. If you think it’s too loud, it probably is.
• Keep auto sound systems at moderate volumes. Doing so can help you avoid hearing damage and ensure you hear and respond to other vehicles.
• If your workplace is noisy, wear personal ear protection, such as earplugs or earmuffs.
• Wear earplugs at rock concerts, nightclubs, and motor sports events.
• Use caution when setting the volume on iPods, MP3 players, and personal stereo systems.

  Even lower volumes can damage your hearing if you listen over long periods of time. Remove the headphones occasionally to give your ears a rest.

One study found people who regularly listened to MP3s at high volumes for more than an hour a day were at high risk for permanent hearing loss after five years.

Personal stereos and portable phones that play music are particularly dangerous when used with earbuds, which lead to greater sound exposure than other types of earphones.

Symptoms of Hearing Loss
Signs of the early stages of hearing loss include:

• 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 TV or radio volume to be louder than others in the room prefer
• Thinking people are mumbling when they’re talking
• Difficulty hearing certain environmental sounds, such as birds chirping

If you experience hearing loss, persistent noise or ringing in your ears (tinnitus), or any of the symptoms listed above, see your doctor or a hearing specialist right away.

For more information, visit the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders at www.nidcd.nih.gov and search for “hearing.

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