October is National Protect Your Hearing Month.  Here at Beltone Coastal, we care about you and your hearing health.  This event is observed every October and is used to raise awareness over hearing issues that can arise from a variety of issues, many of which come from outside noises you may not think are bad for you.

The following are some tips on how you can make some simple changes to your lifestyle to prevent noises from hurting your ears:

Turn down the volume. You may like to listen to your music and TV shows in a louder setting, but over time, this can provide for health issues.  One way to prevent this is to change all your volume outputs to a specific maximum volume limit.  This will prevent you from raising the volume over a specific amount.  Sounds at or above 85 decibels put you at significant risk if you listen or watch for lengthy periods of time.

Move away from the noise. To reduce the sound intensity and the impact of noise on your ears, increase the distance between you and the noise. Think of this simple step when you are near fireworks, watch from afar if you can.  When going to a concert or a bar, avoid sitting anywhere near speakers.  Your ears, and head the next day, will thank you.

Wear hearing protectors, such as earplugs or earmuffs. If you just can’t seem to stay away from loud noises or want to sit up close during a concert then perhaps earplugs are a great fit for you.  Earplugs or earmuffs can provide an easy solution for preventing loud noises from attacking your ears.  If you are a parent of young children, this is an absolute must if you take them to watch fireworks or other locations with loud noises.  They are cheap, effective, and will absolutely help you in the long run.