Expert gives advice on avoiding earbuds, lots of loud noises

FRIDAY, July 12 (HealthDay News) — Hearing loss isn’t reversible so you need to protect your ears from loud noises, an expert says.

“Once hearing is damaged, it cannot be repaired,” Jyoti Bhayani, an audiologist at Loyola University Health System, said in a Loyola news release. “And hearing aids have yet to become coveted status accessories, so young people need to wise up and turn the volume down on their earbuds,” she advised.

“Three in five Americans, especially youth, are prone to develop hearing loss due to loud music being delivered via earbuds,” Bhayani noted.

One in 10 Americans has hearing loss that affects their ability to understand normal speech. While aging is the most common cause of hearing loss, excessive noise is another important and preventable cause.

But earbuds aren’t the only culprit. Loud noises in factories, construction sites and other locations can also cause hearing damage. [Read more…]