Wellness

[JeanLouiseFinch]

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@janneljannel11 wrote:

Thank you all for sharing your experience. To be frank, your responses made me more anxious about my hearing ability. I didn't notice any trouble in hearing yet unless when I listen to music for long time (I used to use my headphones more than 4 hours per day). From today onwards I will avoid listening to music using headphones. What are the other precautions to be taken to prevent sudden hear loss? I had already got an appointment with an audiologist for a hearing evaluation, what if my audiologist diagnose a hearing impairment ? I’m only 20 and I don’t want to use any hearing aids at this age. 

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Precautions would be to avoid extremely noisy situations on a regular basis, but that's not going to make a difference if you're already predisposed to hereditary age-related hearing loss. Assuming you were born with normal hearing, if you anticipate hereditary age-related hearing loss, it's not like you go to bed one night fine and wake up the next day unable to hear.  Typically it happens over time and you don't really notice it until you're middle aged, so you probably have a lot of good hearing years on your side.  If you are diagnosed with a hearing loss now from blasting your music, I don't know that you can recover from any damage that's already been caused, but changing your habits will help it to not get any worse.  All that said, if you do have appreciable hearing loss now and are recommended to use aids, you need to be mature about approaching it.  What's your aversion to wearing hearing aids now if they're going to improve your quality of life? There's nothing wrong with wearing hearing aids at 20 yrs. old.  Would you be embarrassed for your peers to know?  I'll be frank and say, get over yourself.  I've said the same thing to my child who refuses to wear theirs.  They're being stubborn and  don't realize how much better their life could be, but I can't force them anymore either so they live with the consequences.  A lot of people grow up wearing hearing aids from the time they are young children.  Wearing hearing aids is no different than wearing eyeglasses or contact lenses, or taking a daily medication that makes your body operate normally and effectively.

[Hayfield]

I'm 60 years old and a couple of years ago I noticed that I was having problems hearing conversations in very loud, noisy areas and I went for a hearing test and was told that I am starting to have some mild hearing loss, especially in loud, noisy areas but did not need hearing aids at the time but to get my hearing checked yearly.  I think for a lot of people, like me, it's simply aging.  It's a fact of life and I'll deal with it. 

[LilacTree]

My dad had significant hearing loss in his left ear in his fifties.  He eventually went deaf in that ear.

I have significant hearing loss in my left ear.  I suspect I will suffer the same fate as my dad. 

I have had tinnitus practically all of my adult life.  Yes, I do believe it is genetic.

[wonderfulworld]

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@janneljannel11 wrote:

Thank you all for sharing your experience. To be frank, your responses made me more anxious about my hearing ability. I didn't notice any trouble in hearing yet unless when I listen to music for long time (I used to use my headphones more than 4 hours per day). From today onwards I will avoid listening to music using headphones. What are the other precautions to be taken to prevent sudden hear loss? I had already got an appointment with an audiologist for a hearing evaluation, what if my audiologist diagnose a hearing impairment ? I’m only 20 and I don’t want to use any hearing aids at this age. 

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You have taken an important step by stopping the music listening with head phones. Ear buds are even worse.Also, avoid any loud noise, equipment, fireworks and lawnmowers without ear protection. Even the rubbery/foam one that you put in your ears will help.

The audiologist can give you even more info. Let us know how you do. You are wise to be concerned about hearing at such a young age. Bravo for you.

[wonderfulworld]

I have been watching this thread for an update on the OP's audiologist appointment/ I hope it went well.