A world without sound

CEBU, Philippines — There’s no question that hearing is a very precious human sense. To appreciate its importance, one may consider all the sounds that surround him every day – a child laughing, a bird singing, a friend sharing a story, a great song on the radio. These sounds make life richer for him.

Hearing empowers a person and helps him to have a sense of control over his everyday life. He can effectively communicate, socialize, and work. Being to communicate with those around him can make him feel that he matters in the bigger scheme of things.

As the person hears the world around him, he is connected. It helps him develop intelligence, understanding, and feelings. Without hearing, he is unable to fully express himself or fully grasp the expressions of others around him. Without hearing, life can be so frustrating.

When one cannot hear, his safety is compromised. He cannot be roused up by sounds warning him of potential danger. A small child crying and the blare of a fire alarm are just a few examples of important signals that people need to hear.

If hearing is lost, one loses a good part of his connection with the world. Life without sound is a silent movie. A good part of the experience is turned off.

Sadly, millions of people suffer from some form of hearing impairment. It is reported that nearly one in two people over the age of 50 today has difficulty understanding what other people say in busy environments. As a person’s hearing facility deteriorates slowly over the years, hearing loss can be quite difficult to recognize. Some sounds might still be easy to hear, but others can become increasingly hard to make out.

Hearing loss doesn’t only affect the sufferers themselves, but also their friends and relatives, who have to struggle carrying the simplest conversations with them. Worse, people who are hard of hearing are often made the butt of jokes – adding insult to injury, so to speak.

But it does not have to be that way anymore. Thanks to modern technology, there are now devices that can help overcome the difficulties of hearing loss. So long as one is keenly observant of the early signs and symptoms, the condition doesn’t have to limit his experience of life.

Once hearing is damaged, it's gone for good. Prevention is best when there’s no cure. One shall not wait until it's too late to start taking care of his ears! The website www.earq.com shares ways for protecting the ears and promoting hearing health:

Use earplugs around loud noises. Noise-induced hearing loss is common among workers of loud work or leisure environments. Earplugs are the convenient and easy solution. One can even have a pair custom-fitted by a hearing care professional.

Turn down the volume. Habitual exposure to blaring audio devices can cause noise-induced hearing loss. When enjoying music through headphones or earbuds, one can protect his ears by following the 60/60 rule. The suggestion is to listen with headphones at no more than 60 percent volume for no more than 60 minutes a day. If possible, over-the-ear headphones shall be used.

Give the ears time to recover. If exposed to loud noises for a prolonged period of time, like at a concert or a bar, the ears need time to recover. It helps to step outside for five minutes every so often. What’s more, research has found that the ears need an average of 16 hours of quiet to recover from one loud night out.

Stop using cotton swabs in your ears. It not advisable to use cotton swabs to clean wax out of the ear canal. A little bit of wax in the ears is not only normal, but it’s also important. The ears are self-cleaning organs, and wax stops dust and other harmful particles from entering the canal. Inserting anything inside the ear canals can damage sensitive organs like the ear drum. Excess wax around the canal may be cleaned with a damp towel, gently.

Take medications only as directed. Certain medications, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) like aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen, can sometimes contribute to hearing loss. These medications shall only be taken as prescribed by the doctor.

Keep your ears dry. Excess moisture can allow bacteria to enter and attack the ear canal. This can cause swimmer's ear or other types of ear infections, which can be dangerous to one’s hearing ability. The ears shall be gently towel-dried after bathing or swimming.

Get up and move. Exercise is good for the ears. Cardio exercises like walking, running, or cycling gets the blood pumping to all parts of the body, including the ears. This helps the ears’ internal parts stay healthy and working to their maximum potential.

Manage stress levels. Stress and anxiety have been linked to both temporary and permanent tinnitus, a phantom ringing in the ears. High levels of stress cause the body to go into fight-or- flight mode, which is an instinctual reaction that fills the body with adrenaline to help the person either fight or flee from danger. This process puts a lot of pressure on the nerves, blood flow, body heat, and more. It's commonly thought that this pressure and stress can travel up into the inner ear and contribute to tinnitus symptoms.

Get regular checkups. One shall incorporate hearing screenings into his regular checkups, especially if he’s around 50 years old. Because hearing loss develops gradually, it’s also recommended to have annual hearing consultations with a hearing healthcare professional. That way, it’s more likely to recognize signs of hearing loss and action can be taken sooner.

Untreated hearing loss causes great discomfort and gets in the way of precious relationships. It has also been linked to other health concerns like depression, dementia, and heart disease. Fortunately, there are ways to save one from a world without sound.