Once hearing loss occurs, hearing aids will only help so much. By understanding what can damage your hearing, such as turning up your music too loud in your headphones, you can help prevent much of the hearing damage cause by everyday noises. 

Hearing loss can only be treated with hearing aids. However, when using hearing aids, hearing is not restored to "normal" - they maximize your hearing ability to improve speech understanding and listening-in noise. This is why it is incredibly important to prevent hearing loss before it occurs.

The table below shows common activities and their decibel levels. When noise level decibels reach higher than 85, make sure to wear earplugs, earmuffs or other protective devices. Prolonged exposure to noise levels above 85 decibels can result in permanent hearing loss.

When trying to prevent hearing loss, also consider how loud you turn up your music while wearing headphones. Often times, people try to block out street noise while wearing headphones. However, while at home or in a quiet place, you should make sure you can still hear the sounds around you and have the ability to carry on a conversation. While in a louder environment, if you find yourself constantly turning up the volume, consider buying noise cancelling headphones that will block out street noise and allow you to listen to your music comfortably.

Finally, remember to protect children who are too young to protect themselves. Ensure they are not in environments with too high of decibel levels. Also, set volume limits when children use headphones and limit listening time. For additional tips on how you can help protect your child's hearing, visit Noisy Planet.

You can still enjoy activities where the decibel levels are high when you plan ahead to use proper hearing protection. Remember, hearing loss is irreversible. Hearing aids can help maximize your hearing ability; however, prevention is ideal to preserve your hearing now and for the future.