Audiology expert shares health tips during Better Hearing and Speech Month - The Edwardsville Intelligencer

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Audiology expert shares health tips during Better Hearing and Speech Month

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EDWARDVILLE — From rocking out at arenas and cheering along at action-packed ball games to getting out the power tools and equipment for gardening and woodworking, some time-honored activities can pack a bigger punch than your ears should take.

Hearing care expert Dr. T.K. Parthasarathy, board-certified audiologist and former SIUE audiology professor of Better Hearing Clinic has some easy advice for keeping harmful volumes at bay during Better Hearing Month this May — and beyond.

“A few simple steps can make all the difference between healthy hearing and permanent impairment,” Dr. Parthasarathy says, so it’s important to keep these preventive tips in mind:

Turn down the sound

Planning a hearty run in the fresh air with favorite tunes in your ears? It’s tempting to crank up the beats, but MP3 players can reach an ear-splitting 105 decibels. Better bet: Enjoy the sounds but turn them down to 50 percent maximum volume or lower.

Guard your ears

Cutting that spring grass can feel so satisfying, but the noise of a gas mower can blow past the danger threshold of 85 decibels. Hearing protection such as earplugs or earmuffs help soften loud sounds and can be customized to your ears, so keep them on hand when using power equipment.

Limit your exposure

Concerts, sports events, and festivals abound, so help keep your hearing sound by wearing hearing protection and taking breaks from the festivities. Permanent hearing loss can result even from a single exposure to loud noise, making it important to give your ears a helpful rest from excess volumes.

Did you know?

• Over a billion people between ages 12 and 35 could experience hearing loss linked to recreational noise exposure, per the World Health Organization.

• Excess noise can destroy the inner ear’s tiny, irreplaceable hair cells, which are crucial to healthy hearing.

• Loud sounds can lead to tinnitus, a common and potentially debilitating problem of buzzing, humming, or ringing in the ears.

• Quality hearing protection can curb noise intensity while letting music and other audio sound just as good.

Better Hearing Clinic, 9 Junction Dr. W., Ste. 9, Glen Carbon, is a full-service audiology practice serving the southern Illinois community since 1987. With locations in Glen Carbon and Alton, the AudigyCertified™ hearing care practice has reportedly helped thousands of patients with their hearing loss and tinnitus and offers state-of-the-art diagnostic testing and expert fitting of hearing technology. Learn more at www.betterhearingclinic.com or call at 1-866-696-5958.

More Information

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Better Hearing Health, an educational seminar about hearing loss and how it can impact lives

WHEN: 11 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, May 7

WHERE: YMCA, 1200 Esic Dr., Edwardsville

INFO: Call the YMCA, 618-656-0436, to reserve a seat or sign up in person at the Niebur or Meyer center. Walk-ins are subject to availability. Attendees will recieve a free hearing exam and consultation.

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