My name is Marilyn Baker, and I have horrible allergies. I’m 42 years old and have been suffering from allergies since I was a child. I have seasonal and environmental allergies. Allergies plague me year round. When I was young, my parents even moved to a dryer area in the hope of helping me. Over the past eight years, I have done extensive research both through doctors and online. I have managed to come up with some combinations that have helped me a great deal. My allergies aren’t gone, but they have become manageable. I do have to have allergy shots, but I also use some natural remedies. I am happy to be able to share my findings with you here on my blog. I hope you can find some of this of value.
In today's world, you don't have to look far to find someone wearing earbuds connected to a smartphone or MP3 player. If you're someone who enjoys listening to music, audio books or podcasts while you're jogging, taking public transit or working in your yard, it's important that you make sure you're not risking the health of your hearing. While anyone with hearing issues can visit a hearing clinic to get hearing aids, it's best to avoid unnecessarily exposing yourself to loud volumes that can harm your ears and lead to the eventual need for these devices. Here are some earbud safety tips to keep in mind.
Don't Increase The Volume When Your Environment Gets Louder
It's common sense to keep the volume of the sound coming through your earbuds are a low or moderate level, but it can be tempting to increase the volume when the environment around you gets louder. This, however, can risk causing hearing damage, even if the volume of what you're listening to doesn't seem excessively loud. For example, if you're cutting the lawn with a power mower, you might feel you need to increase the volume to a much higher level than you'd otherwise use in order to hear your music over the noise of the machine. It's a better idea to determine a comfortable volume for using your earbuds regardless of the noise around you (for example, four out of 10) and avoid exceeding that level to suit a loud environment — even if this means you can't wear the earbuds during a certain task.
Adjust Your Device's Settings
Many audio devices allow you to adjust the setting of the device's volume that plays through the earbuds. Check your device's settings and look for an option labeled "Volume Limit" or something similar, depending on the brand. This allows you to set the maximum playing level of your device — for example, the aforementioned four out of 10. This will prevent you from increasing the volume without thinking, and possibly harming your hearing in the process.
Take Breaks
Prolonged exposure to loud noises can lead to eventual hearing loss. If you have a habit of wearing your earbuds extensively, give yourself an occasional break. For example, if you wear them while jogging, use them for half your jog and remove them for the other half. Generally, you should aim to avoid using your earbuds on a continual basis for more than 60 minutes at a time. This simple step can reduce the strain to your ears that could eventually lead to the need for hearing aids.
For more information about how to protect your hearing, contact a professional on the ears, nose, and throat, like one at Waters ENT Sinus & Allergy.
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