Our world is getting louder and the noise levels we are subjected to in out daily lives are taking a serious toll on our lives. This increase has taken its toll and the number of deaf and people with hearing problems has grown to 28 million in America alone. Thankfully, it is possible to delay or even prevent completely many forms of hearing loss. Hearing aids have become more advanced making them more comfortable and clearer and medical treatments have continued to improve. Hearing loss sufferers are becoming younger as more people become exposed to dangerous sound levels. Roughly 10 million Americans have irreversible damage to their ears from dangerous noise levels and 30 million are exposed to damaging levels on a daily basis. People between the ages of 45 and 64 have the highest amount of hearing loss with a 365% loss amongst males and 85% loss amongst women. Unlike age, hearing loss from noise levels and infections, especially during childhood is preventable. Hearing tests are recommended straight after birth and at regular intervals throughout life. Problems with a newborn baby's hearing can now be detected with an inexpensive technique known as otoacoustic emissions. Early diagnosis means that a baby can make the most of the first six months of life which is when its language skills first start to develop. Hearing is due to the miraculous process of turning sound waves into vibrations by collecting the sound at the outer ear and channeling the sound to the middle and inner ear where the ear drum and small bones vibrate. These electrical impulses are generated by hair like cells in the cochlea and are then sent to the brain. These cells however cannot grow back if they become damaged. One common symptom of hearing damage is tinnitus where the person hears a constant ringing or a buzz which is not actually present. Most people with tinnitus manage to get on with their daily lives including the majority of American sufferers which is estimated at 40 million. Some tinnitus cases are only very slight and affects people at night time when everything else is silent. However, for others, it can mean a life of real discomfort. There is no outright cure for tinnitus but 80% of the 10 million with severe cases are able to get some form of relief. William Shatner, the actor best known for his role as Captain Kirk on the television series Star Trek was almost driven to commit suicide after being tormented by tinnitus. Close proximity to loud explosions on the set of Star Trek has been blamed as a possible cause of his condition. There are ways to protect your hearing. In certain situations you should always wear earplugs. Being exposed to anything above 90 decibels for a length of time from things like power drills and lawnmowers can cause temporary hearing loss. 100 decibels from work equipment can damage a person's hearing in 15 minutes if left unprotected. Rock concerts, racing cars and even chainsaws regularly produce over 110 decibels which is enough to cause permanent hearing loss. Hearing damage can be caused by ear infections if they are not treated early. Swelling and fever are not always present with an ear infection. In fact no symptoms may be present apart from a loss of hearing. Any hearing loss should be followed up with a visit to the doctor and a hearing test should be booked.
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Volume levels are increasing and the increased background noise in our daily lives means we are constantly turning the volume up so we can hear what we are listening to more. This increase has contributed to the number of Americans that are either deaf or hard of hearing which stands at over 28 million.
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