Medical App & Medical Advice with Hello Doctor

Could you be damaging your ears?

Heard yourself saying, “Please turn up the volume” or, “excuse me” a lot lately? Maybe it’s time to go for a hearing test!

Let’s have a look at what can damage your hearing:

Normal conversation is at a volume of 60-65 dB. If you’re constantly exposed to loud noises, greater than 80-85dB, it can lead to hearing loss.

1. Loud music:

Loud noise from clubs, concerts, MP3 players (iPods): an MP3 player on loud = 112dB, Night-clubs = 110dB, rock concert = 120dB. This may be a reason why younger people lose their hearing.

What do do:

  • Use ear plugs at live music events
  • Take regular breaks from loud noises
  • Use earmuffs rather than in-the-ear headphones, as they block out background noise more effectively
  • Use the “smart volume” feature on an MP3 player (aim to listen at less than 60% of the maximum volume, for less than one hour/day)

2. Your work environment:

  • A noisy work environment can damage your hearing (construction and factory workers, people operating heavy machinery, musicians).

What to do:

  • Use earmuffs or earplugs if you’re exposed to noise at work, or when using noisy equipment is at home.

3. Explosive noises:

  • Noise from gunshots, firecrackers and other explosions can severely damage one’s hearing.

4. Smoking:

  • Nicotine causes your blood-vessels to the hearing-mechanism to constrict, which means it reduces blood flow over time to the ear, and damage over time.

What to do:

Another reason to quit smoking!

5. Perforation of the eardrum and ear infections:

  • Fluid in the middle ear from an infection can result in temporary hearing loss. However, if not treated it can cause serious long-term problems.
  • A hole in the eardrum can happen as a result of an ear infection, loud sounds, head trauma, sudden pressure changes during diving or flying

What do do:

Eat healthy & exercise, to prevent ear-infections altogether.

If you have a hole in your eardrum, don’t stress: it heals over time.

6. Medication side effects:

  • Certain antibiotics can potentially cause hearing loss (aminoglycosides)
  • Regular use of anti-inflammatories/aspirin
  • Platinum-based chemotherapy drugs (due to the presence of a heavy metal)

What to do:

Pay attention to the medication your taking: only do so when necessary, with your doctor’s recommendtaion.

7. Medical conditions/illnesses:

  • diabetes
  • sickle cell anaemia
  • auto-immune conditions (rheumatoid arthritis, lupus)
  • stroke, high blood pressure
  • Meniere’s disease
  • Wegener’s granulomatosis,
  • Behcet’s disease

8. Childhood illnesses:

  • measles, mumps, encephalitis, chicken pox, meningitis, influenza

9. Hearing loss from, or around, birth:

  • congenital hearing loss (hearing loss that is present at/from birth)
  • diabetes during pregnancy
  • infection during pregnancy
  • premature birth of a baby
  • not enough oxygen to the baby during birth

10. Tumours and growths:

  • non-cancerous growths of the ear canal and hearing nerves: osteomas, exostoses, polyps, accoustic neuroma

If you have any more questions about your hearing, or other symptoms, just contact one of our doctors. Simply sign up on our website, and download the free Hello Doctor app from the Google Play or iTunes store. With the app, you can talk to, or text our doctors, anytime, anywhere!