Did you know that hearing loss is on the rise, and in a significant way? Already, some 5% of the world’s population lives with disabling hearing loss, and that percentage is expected to jump to 10% by 2050.

What’s interesting about this increase is that many of these cases will be largely preventable. While age-related hearing loss can be genetic, a significant portion of new hearing loss cases is called noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), which can slowly occur over many years, often unnoticed.

In this post, we’ll run through a few effective strategies for ensuring that your hearing health is kept in as good condition as possible. 

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Understand the Risks

As we said above, a great deal of hearing loss is preventable. As such, simply understanding what causes hearing loss can go a long way towards ensuring that your ears are kept safe. 

The main reason hearing loss is on the rise among young people is that they are increasingly exposed to loud, unsafe levels of noise. Prolonged exposure to sounds that exceed 85 dB can cause permanent damage to the ears, and unfortunately, many people routinely expose their ears to that level of volume — or even higher — on a regular basis, often without realizing it. Concerts, heavy traffic areas, and listening to music at high volumes can all slowly damage the ears, ultimately resulting in hearing loss. 

Invest in Protection

The best way to keep your hearing intact is to avoid loud environments, but of course, that’s not always possible. You’ll want to go to concerts, or perhaps you have no choice than to work in a loud environment or travel down a busy street that’s full of beeping car horns.

Investing in hearing protection can go a long way towards keeping your ears safe when exposed to loud noises. There are devices that fully protect the ears (such as earmuffs), while it’s also possible to get earplugs that protect the ears while still allowing sounds through (excellent for concerts). 

Get Routine Hearing Tests

You can’t fix a problem if you don’t know that there even is a problem. Because hearing loss happens gradually, many people only realize that they’re experiencing hearing loss once it’s become so extensive that a hearing aid is required.

Many people put off getting their hearing test, but it’s recommended — and easy — to do so. Hearing clinics such as My Hearing Centers offer hearing tests across the country, allowing adults to take a test that will establish their hearing baseline. This can help establish your current level of hearing, against which all subsequent tests can be measured. Getting tested before your 50th birthday is a good idea, since hearing loss becomes more likely around that age. 

Take Action if Necessary

If you do discover that you have hearing loss, then it’s recommended to take action early. One study found that people wait an average of 7 - 10 years after first experiencing hearing loss symptoms before seeking treatment; doing so early can help avoid the side effects of untreated hearing loss and improve quality of life.