3 Things You Might Not Know Can Damage Your Hearing

As with most of our senses, hearing is something we tend to take for granted until it's gone. We never really engage with the fact that hearing loss can happen to anyone. It simply doesn't occur to us.

It's not just age-related hearing loss that's an issue, either. Nor is it the wide array of diseases and disorders that can compromise our ability to process sound. It's the things we do in our day-to-day lives, everyday activities which you might be surprised to learn can cause hearing damage, even leading to permanent impairment.

There are many ways besides age that can harm your ears, often without realizing it. 

Overdoing the Music

Go to any gym, and we'd wager at least half the people there are wearing earbuds. On some level it makes sense, right? You're not fond of the top-40 stuff they play over the speakers, so you bring your own tunes ― stuff that'll get you pumped up and ready to give your all.

The issue is that gyms, like many public places, tend to be extremely loud environments. Drowning out your surroundings, from the music on the gym's sound system to the grunts and shouts of people lifting weights, requires turning your music up to potentially unsafe levels. This is particularly pronounced with earbuds, which pipe noise directly into the ear canal.

As you might expect, concentrating this much sound into such a small area can be incredibly hazardous. That isn't the only risk, either. Swimmers also have the fun bonus of water potentially being trapped in the ear by their headphones, which can lead to a type of infection fittingly termed swimmer's ear.

Since you can't really ditch your workout music, ditch the earbuds. Invest in a pair of noise-canceling headphones instead. Sure, you might get a bit sweatier, and it may be more difficult to find headphones that are fully waterproof.

But your ears will thank you in the long run.

Noise? What Noise?

We're going to assume you know to construction sites, and to wear hearing protection in loud environments like shooting ranges. What you may not know, however, is that these aren't the only noise-laden environments that can leave your ears ringing. Even everyday noises ― leaf blowers, vacuum cleaners, and large vehicles, for instance ― can, with enough exposure, damage your ears.

There's a reason so many bartenders, musicians, and concert-goers tend to suffer from long-term hearing loss. Places like bars and nightclubs can be extremely loud, and extremely harmful to your hearing as a result. Basically, what we're saying here is to be cognizant of your environment.

And that it's not unreasonable to look into some hearing protection if you know you'll be around loud noises.

Taking Your Medicine

It's relatively well-known that some medications can cause varying levels of hearing impairment. Known as ototoxic drugs, they run the gamut in purpose from antibiotics to diuretics to chemotherapy. Often, this impairment is temporary and vanishes as soon as you're no longer taking the medication.

In some cases, however, the damage can be permanent. This happens far more often with patients of advanced age or people taking one or more ototoxic medications. The good news is that it's pretty easy to avoid such damage, as symptoms such as vertigo, tinnitus, and nausea tend to develop rapidly once treatment begins.

As such, if you're suffering from any of these, speak to your doctor to brainstorm some alternative treatment methods.

Keep Your Ears Safe

You only have one set of ears. And if you damage them enough to cause hearing impairment, there's a good chance that damage may be irreversible. Take care of yourself, and keep your ears safe and sound.