Dr. Whitney Swander Makes the News!!!

Along with the changing leaves, Fall brings with it some predictable events such as outdoor sporting events and hunting season! Hearing protection becomes a hot topic during this time of year. It’s likely because we are stuffing ourselves into loud sporting stadiums and/or going on hunting trips, which draws attention to how loud these types of activities actually are!

At Hearing HealthCare Centers, we see the opportunity to educate others on their hearing in every interaction. We also believe protecting our hearing is a topic for year-round discussion! Hearing preservation is just as important as treating hearing loss itself.

Did you know that sounds don’t have to be painful to be damaging? We can’t use our body’s warning systems to alert us to harmful volume levels, because we can comfortably tolerate sounds far louder than those capable of causing permanent damage. In fact, the fastest growing population of hearing loss is in people under 30 due to the use of air-pods and other headsets!

The best way to care for your ears is by protecting them throughout your life, and monitoring for any potential changes in your hearing. Who do you know that should come see us to get some customized hearing protection or get a baseline hearing test to make sure they are not experiencing symptoms?

Remember, you are never too young, or too old, to start protecting what hearing you have (left!).

Sound is measured on a scale of loudness in units of decibels (dB), with 0 dB representing the softest sound intensity that the average person with normal hearing can hear.

Normal conversation is around 55 dB. This scale increases on a logarithmic scale; if a sound becomes 10 dB louder, it is 10 times as loud. Long term, repetitive exposure to loud sound can cause hearing loss and tinnitus.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health established recommended exposure limits for noise which warns that you can listen to sounds at 85 dB for 8 hours a day before risking hearing loss. As the intensity, or loudness, of this sound increases, the amount of time you can listen before damaging your hearing decreases.

Noise at 100 dB can be listened to for only 15 minutes before risking damage to hearing.

References:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, January 23). Noise and hearing loss - noise and occupational hearing loss. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/noise/noise.html#:~:text=NIOSH%20established%20a%20recommended%20exposure,loss%20over%20their%20working%20lifetime.
Stewart, M. (n.d.). Recreational Firearm Noise exposure. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. https://www.asha.org/public/hearing/recreational-firearm-noise-exposure/

PATIENT REVIEWS

" Dr Beasley of Hearing HealthCare Centers in Longmont has the talent to address all of the critical issues of my damaged hearing. I am very satisfied with the final results. My first 4 month follow up appointment last Friday was again, smooth and professional. They have a follow up each 4 months to ensure satisfaction. My second 4 month follow up allowed me a valuable opportunity to fine tune my listening time to the TV . Thanks to Dr. Beasley. Always very knowledgeable and professional."
H.H.

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