Hearing Loss in YOUNG People. Listen Up !

By Mary Schwager,GalTime.com

Millions of people under the age of 40 report they have some level of hearing loss. Yup, young people! In fact about 1.5 million are under the age of 18. As Fall swings into full gear with concerts, music festivals and sauntering around with your iPod in your ears-listen up! A recent survey found people don't understand how easy it is to damage their hearing.

42% were unaware that just 5 minutes of exposure a day to listening to music on an iPod at full volume can put them at risk of permanent hearing loss. And Songbird Hearing's findings also found that 64% have worried about their hearing. In fact, stats say 35 million Americans suffer from some form of hearing loss.

Galtime chatted with Chris DiCostanzo, President and CEO of Songbird Hearing about its findings and hip ways you can protect your hearing.

GalTime: It's pretty darn interesting that people who are 45 may need a hearing aid--what do you attribute that to?
Chris: Each generation is being exposed to more and more noise. The challenge for young people today is the unsafe use of personal electronic devices, especially with earbuds that do not block out external noise. Plus, hearing protection is massively under-utilized by young people. Most music in a club setting is played at unsafe levels, but young people are not likely to wear ear plugs or other protective devices to limit their exposure to unsafe noise levels.

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GalTime: When someone in their 40's comes to you for a hearing aid, what's usually the culprit that caused the hearing loss?

Chris: Consumers do not always know what the main culprit was when asked about their hearing loss. Unless there was a specific injury from a firecracker, for example, or known exposure to things such as loud music, many folks are not even aware of what the main cause of their hearing struggles are or were.

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GalTime: What tips would you have for young people now (18-35 year olds) to prevent hearing loss?

Chris: Wear earplugs when you know you are going to be exposed to very loud sounds, especially loud music in the club scene. They come in many colors, which makes it cool or even helps 'make a statement' . Also, another important tip young people can do is invest in ear buds or head phones that block out outside sound. These allow you to hear the music at much lower volumes because the external noise in the environment/background is blocked out. Most people think of this only when on an airplane, but it could be just about anywhere you would be listening to music with buds/headphones.

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GalTime: Is it true that once you damage your hearing its impossible to get it back?

Chris: There is no current cure for most hearing loss. Some hearing loss is the result of a medically treatable condition, which is why we recommend that anyone who has or thinks they may have a hearing loss gets checked out by a doctor to rule out those medical conditions. Noise induced hearing loss is not curable and most people with it will find that a hearing aid is recommended for them.

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