Many risk factors cause hearing loss. Some of them are preventable, while factors like aging and brain injury may be inevitable. However, did you know that simple things like attending festivals and other gatherings can cause hearing loss?

While this is true, staying at home doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t have hearing loss problems. Some of the typical hearing loss risk factors at home include the audible sounds from radio, television, and other household appliances. Increased TV noise, blasting headphones, allergies, and dog barking is among the many hearing loss risk factors.

Loud Sounds in Your Home

A loud sound close to your ear or regular loud noises can cause hearing loss. The louder you increase the noise, the closer you are to developing hearing problems. Let’s put this into perspective.

The units used to measure sound are known as decibels (dB). For an ordinary conversation, the amount of sound intensity is 60 Db, a whisper is approximately 30 Db, while a shouted conversation on a subway is 90-95 Db. Subjecting yourself to a noise level of more than 70 decibels for an extended period may cause hearing impairment.

What’s even more surprising is that the max volumes of devices like TVs, radio, and headphones have 105-110 decibels and can cause hearing impairment in less than 5 minutes. If you love dogs, this might also come as a surprise. Did you know that a dog barking close to your ear can cause hearing impairment in 2 minutes?

An excellent way to prevent hearing impairment from a potential loud noise is by paying attention to a few signs. Sometimes, loud noises may hurt your ears, causing them to ring after receiving the sounds.

Allergies Causing Clogged Ears

Clogged ears can be annoying, and sometimes the sensation is similar to what you feel when in an airplane. However, clogged ears may not cause a 100% hearing impairment. You may find it difficult to hear normal sounds.

Hearing impairment, in this case, happens when sound waves are unable to penetrate the inner ear. Some of the symptoms of a clogged ear include ringing sound in the ear, pain, and discharge. Besides, you can experience hearing impairment in one ear, either caused by earwax buildup or allergies.

These allergies cause excessive buildup of mucus which brings about swelling or, worse still, permanent hearing loss. If you have other hearing disorders, allergies can also alleviate hearing loss significantly.

Prolonged Use of Auto-Repair Tools

Hearing loss increases as you grow older, but people exposed to auto repair tools for prolonged periods may have hearing loss issues. If you notice a ringing or muffled sound once you leave your garage, know that the level of noise in your garage is enough to damage your ears.

Some common garage tools and activities that can cause hearing loss include impact wrenches, revving engines, horns, shop vacs, and disk sanders.

Contact Us

Hearing loss can be bothersome to you and those who are close to you. Prolonged exposure to the risk factors mentioned above can cause hearing loss. If you want to learn more about hearing loss, contact us at Beltone Dallas Fort Worth today!