Hearing loss is often discounted as a by-product of aging, but in fact affects more than 12 million people in the UK alone. Hearing loss comes in many forms, and has many points of origin – but how can you adequately protect yourself from the most common cause of hearing damage?
The Causes of Hearing Loss
There are multiple ways in which hearing loss can be precipitated, from congenital defects to injury, disease and even environmental factors. Before discussing the key sources of hearing loss, it is important to understand the various mechanisms by which we can hear.
There are three distinct areas which provide crucial function to our hearing: the middle ear, the inner ear and the brain. The middle ear is the conductive part of the ear, comprising the ear drum and the three miniscule bones tasked with transferring auditory signals to the inner ear. The inner ear is a fluid-filled series of canals, which co-ordinate balance and transfer auditory signals via the cochlea into nerve signals, which are then interpreted by the brain.
As such, there are several points of failure for hearing, which can be affected by a number of causes. For example, perforation of the eardrum could result from a physical injury, while infections can cause swelling and damage to the inner ear. Other illnesses and even traumatic brain injuries can affect the brain’s neurological response to sound, despite the proper operation of the ear itself.
Reasons to Consider Protecting Your Hearing
So, why should you concern yourself with protecting your hearing? The vast majority of hearing loss suffered by adults is caused by exposure to loud sounds, as opposed to injury or illness. One of the key reasons for this is a common misconception about the dangers of excessive volume.
Many assume the threshold for damaging sounds to be above 100db, or closer to the sound of a loud concert or jet engine. According to the British Tinnitus Association, the threshold for excessive volume is in fact 85dB, or the average volume of a lawnmower. While these sounds can be endured for longer than sounds above 100dB, extended exposure can lead to loss of hearing sensitivity and eventually hearing loss altogether.
Protecting Your Hearing at Work
While there are many activities and environments that can put people in close proximity to damaging sounds for extended periods of time, it is often the workplace that affords the highest risk of hearing-related injury. Whether working in close proximity to industrial machinery, fabrication equipment or vehicles, work environments are rife with sound-related hazards.
As such, hearing protection represents a vital aspect of any business’ health and safety procedure. Banded ear plugs enable a comfortable reduction in volume while retaining communicative ability, while ear defenders represent a more heavy-duty intervention for especially loud sounds.
If you are of the opinion that your workplace poses a significant risk to your hearing, you should flag your concerns with your designated health and safety officer; your employer is legally required to provide you with appropriate protective equipment to carry out your work safely – a legal requirement under which hearing protection also falls.