Hearing loss impacts millions of Americans. Here are steps to lower your risk
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Hearing loss is one of the most common medical conditions that affects adults. About 37.5 million Americans aged 18 and older report experiencing some difficulty hearing.
One out of three people between the ages of 65 and 74 in the United States has hearing loss.
Yet many people take it for granted until they lose it or start having hearing problems.
Experts tells us that everyday things we do may be contributing to hearing loss.
Anything above 85 decibels can damage the delicate cilia of the ear. A hairdryer can reach up to 85 decibels and some blenders can reach sounds levels up to 100 decibels.
Another thing to consider: cotton swabs.
"You're not really cleaning your ear with a Q-tip. You're mostly packing wax, and you can give yourself an ear infection," said Dr. Camilo Fernandez-Salvador, an otolaryngologist, or an ear, nose and throat specialist. "We discourage all our patients from using them. In fact, I just saw a patient today that injured their eardrum by using too aggressive of a Q-tip."
Hearing loss can also be connected to a chronic condition.
"High blood pressure, cerebral vascular conditions like history of strokes and things of that nature. Thyroid disease, kidney disease, diabetes can do it. Multiple sclerosis, those are definite ones," he said.
The impact of smoking on your lungs is clear, but you may not realize that tobacco use can also affect how you hear.
"It can irritate your airways and you can end up with ear infections, things of that nature. And your cochlear is an organ that needs to be fed blood. So, if you have chronic smoking, you end up having narrower vessels, lack of blood flow," Fernandez-Salvador said.
And some dental conditions may be linked to impaired hearing.
"Bacteria in your teeth can travel to blood vessels that can cause narrowing or inflammation to adjacent organs," he said.
How do you lower your risk? Studies say try to keep your earbud volume between 60 to 85 decibels.
If you have an iPhone, you can use your health app to check and see your audio levels and the surrounding environment.
Also check your medications for any side effects that may harm your ears.
"People forget that some medications have major side effects. Simple things like antibiotics can cause hearing loss," Fernandez-Salvador said.
Something else to keep in mind when mowing lawns or using leaf blowers.
If you're out there using one of them, remember to wear some hearing protection. Gas powered leaf blowers can go from 80 to 92 decibels of noise. And a lawnmower can range from 80 to 100 decibels.
MORE: Hearing loss in one ear may be a sign of this serious condition
