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Protect Yourself from Hearing Loss

September 16th, 2016 | 1 min. read

By Mark Nichols, MD

Because we love helping people at Houston ENT and Allergy Services, we’ve put together a list of simple steps you can take to prevent hearing loss.

Be aware of familiar, seemingly innocuous situations that can cause problems

If you’re going to a concert, a car race, or you work in an environment with large amounts of high decibel noise, you’re likely to remember to bring some form of ear protection. But there are a lot of events and locations that have ear-damaging levels of noise that you might not recognize until it’s too late. Sporting events of all types consistently hover at levels that, over a couple hours, can damage hearing. Loud outbursts of cheering raise the dBs so fast that damage can occur immediately. Mowing your lawn or even sitting in heavy traffic during your daily commute can also put your hearing at risk.

Keep some hearing protection handy

Single-use earplugs can be purchased in large amounts at affordable prices, and they’re perfect for most applications - using heavy machinery, going to a game, or watching a parade. Plus, they’re easy to stash wherever you might need to find them. You can throw a few pairs into your car, into coat pockets, or your purse. It’s always good to have extras - someone you know will thank you for helping to protect their hearing. For more specialized ear protection, including types that just cut down on decibel levels while not affecting pitch (which are perfect for concerts), talk to one of our ENT doctors. They can help you find ways to keep your hearing in the best possible shape for as long as possible.

Our goal at Houston ENT & Allergy Services is to keep you as healthy as we can for as long as we can, and that often starts with teaching our patients how to predict and prevent where future problems may arise.

Author: Mark Nichols, MD

Learn More About Hearing Loss and Treatments Here!

Mark Nichols, MD

Mark Lynn Nichols, M.D., received his Bachelor of Science degree with Honors in Pharmacy in 1983, prior to his entering the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, where he received the degree of Doctor of Medicine with Highest Honors. Following his Internship in General Surgery, and Residency in Otolaryngology at UTMB, Dr. Nichols did a Fellowship in Otology-Neurology at the Ear Research Foundation, in Sarasota, Florida. He is a member of several professional associations, and is a Diplomat of the American Board of Otolaryngology.