i can’t hear you: falling on deaf ears

Whether on the subway, walking down the street, at the coffee shop, gym or even at work, you’re bound to find at least one person deep in a sonic trance, unaware of their surroundings, and tuned solely into what is playing on their iPod, MP3 or CD player. The scary part about it is even though they are wearing a headset, you can hear Lil Wayne’s “Lollipop” and Rihanna’s “Take a Bow” because the dial is turned to the maximum volume. Over a period of time, this practice could impair or permanently damage hearing.

The most common type of hearing loss in adults is self-inflicted and the cumulative effect of exposure to loud noises. If one listens to loud music, it doesn’t matter if he uses ear buds or traditional headphones; concentrated sounds are being directed into the ear canal, which could result in irreversible damage to the eardrum, inner ear or auditory nerve. Below is a list of symptoms, treatment options and methods of prevention. – yvette caslin

Symptoms:
Ringing, buzzing, humming or roaring in the ears (tinnitus)
Muffled hearing
Fluid leaking from the ear
A feeling that you or your surroundings are moving (vertigo)
Trouble understanding what people are saying

Treatment:
Hearing aid device

Prevention:
Practice the half and half technique. Turn the volume down on your personal listening device to less than half of the maximum and take breaks every half hour.
If your goal is to block out background or surrounding noise, invest in a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones.
Don’t put foreign objects in your ears like bobby pins and cotton swabs.
Visit a physician to remove earwax and treat infections.
Don’t stand to close to the speakers at clubs and parties when loud music is playing.
If you’re going to the club or a concert, consider wearing ear plugs to decrease the decibel level of sound entering your ears.
When at home, listen to music through speakers rather than a portable listening device.