Tag Archives: Hearing Aids

picture of audiologist explaining hearing aids to a patient in detroit

5 Situations Where You Should Use Hearing Protection

Just as you can expect with other parts of your body, your hearing will show signs of aging as you, well, age. That being said, deterioration and hearing loss can occur no matter your age. Whether you’re young or older and are starting to notice signs of hearing loss, our hearing center in Detroit can help. 

Here at Platinum Hearing Aids, we offer hearing loss treatment, hearing solutions, hearing aid fittings, and other services from our audiologist to best help you improve your hearing and quality of life. Whether you’re already noticing signs of hearing loss or not, it’s important to use hearing protection. In today’s blog, we’ll highlight five situations where hearing protection is commonly needed. Keep reading to learn more, and contact us today to visit our hearing center in Detroit.

85 Decibels

It is recommended that you use hearing protection in any situation in which the noise or sound level exceeds 85 decibels (A-weighted) or dBA.

For comparison, here are some common noises and their average decibels (dB):

  • Soft music, whisper: 30
  • Average home noise: 40
  • Normal conversation, background music: 60
  • Office noise, inside car at 60 mph: 70
  • Vacuum cleaner, average radio: 75
  • Heavy traffic, window air conditioner, noisy restaurant, power lawn mower: 80-89
  • Subway, shouted conversation: 90-95
  • Boom box, ATV, motorcycle: 96-100
  • School dance: 101-105
  • Chainsaw, leaf blower, snowmobile: 106-115
  • Sports crowd, rock concert, loud symphony: 120-129
  • Stock car races: 130
  • Gunshot, siren at 100 feet: 140

As you can see, there are many situations in everyday life that could lead to hearing damage and loss. If you’re in need of treatment, then visit our Detroit hearing center today.

Attending Concerts

We’ve all seen babies at concerts wearing heavy-duty ear protection. Why aren’t we doing the same? While we as adults may not need the same level of protection — we are there to hear the music, after all — it is possible to wear ear protection and simply hear the music at a lower volume. By doing so, you can better enjoy the music you love for years to come!

Mowing the Lawn

A power lawn mower is 80-89 dB, and sounds above 85 dB are harmful. To be safe, our audiologists recommend wearing ear protection while mowing the lawn! What better way to do this than with ear protection while also listening to a podcast or your favorite music? Turn your time mowing the lawn into a more calming — and less damaging — experience by using protection.

 

Surfing

Hold up — you thought we were just talking about noises? While noise levels are certainly one of the most important aspects to consider when discussing hearing loss, exposure to cold, wind, water, and snow can also irritate your ears. While we may not have the option to surf much here in Detroit, keep this in mind when traveling to more tropical locales! Water can lead to ear infections, which can in turn lead to serious hearing damage if you’re not careful.

Using Power Tools

Perhaps you’re a weekend warrior or you’re completing a home renovation project. Whatever it is, don’t forget to wear ear protection when using those power tools! As an example, an electric saw can produce sounds over 100 dB. While this is more prone to cause hearing loss with prolonged use, it’s important to take the necessary precautions early on.

Watching Fireworks

Independence day is in just a few days! With it comes parties with friends and family, outdoor barbecuing, and, of course, fireworks. While they are exciting and fun to watch, fireworks can be an assault on your ears! On average, fireworks can produce up to 150 dB of noise. Instead of simply covering your ears with your hands, wear a pair of earplugs or earmuffs to help stifle the noise level.

Visit Our Hearing Center in Detroit

It’s never too early or too late to meet with an audiologist if you’re concerned about your hearing. Hearing loss can greatly affect your quality of life, but our audiologists can help make sure you have the hearing solutions you need. Follow the tips in this blog and use protection, and then visit our hearing center for personalized tips, hearing aids, hearing devices, and more.

picture of platinum hearing aid options in detroit

Steps to Take When You’ve Recognized a Decline in Hearing

In our last blog post, our team talked a little bit about the different signs that you can keep an eye out for when it comes to hearing loss. These first few signs are things that you want to look for so that you can be as proactive as possible moving forward. In today’s blog post, the team at Platinum Hearing Aids is going to go over what you want to do when you do recognize a decline in hearing. Let’s go ahead and get started.

Online Hearing Test

If you start to notice that there is a decline in hearing, you are going to want to start with a hearing test. There are various online hearing tests that you can take advantage of to at least get an idea of where you stand with your hearing. One thing that we do want to note is that while there are online hearing tests that you can complete, these tests are not an alternative to a test completed by a professional. Online hearing tests are designed to provide you with a basic understanding of where you stand with your hearing and what you can anticipate during your professional hearing test.

Professional Hearing Test

Whether you choose to take a hearing test online or not, you absolutely need to get a professional hearing test scheduled. The signs that you’ve picked up on might have provided you with a general idea of where your hearing currently stands, but you are definitely going to want to get a professional test scheduled to confirm that hearing loss is what you’re struggling with.

There may be signs that you’ve picked up on, but to get hearing aids, a hearing test needs to be done. If you’re considering hearing aids as a solution, Platinum Hearing Aids is the place to go. Not only can we provide you with the professional hearing test that you need, but we are experts in hearing aids and can answer any questions you may have as well as help you find the right pair of hearing aids based on your needs.

This brings us to our next point: solutions for your hearing loss.

Consider Solutions

As we mentioned in our last blog post, the solutions associated with hearing loss have evolved significantly over the years. What works for one person may not work for someone else, and that’s okay. There are countless solutions available that, when a decline in hearing has been noticed, you want to start considering your options so that you can find the solution that will work best for you.

This can be incredibly overwhelming to try and tackle on your own. Rather than do that, give Platinum Hearing Aids a call and we would be more than happy to set up a hearing test so that you can get a better idea of the solutions that are available as well as the pros and cons of each.

Conversations with Loved Ones

Hearing loss is no small feat, and it can be incredibly frustrating to deal with in social situations. With that being said, something that you’re definitely going to want to do after you’ve confirmed a loss of hearing is have conversations with your loved ones. Your family and friends will be your biggest supporters during this period of adjustment, and it all starts with a conversation about what you’ve just discovered.

Aside from getting the support that you need, having a conversation with your loved ones can help make sense of why it is that you’re struggling to hear them at times. This is a great time to bring up the various things that people can do to ensure you hear what they’re saying. Maybe you need them to turn towards you as they speak or slow their speech as you get accustomed to your hearing aids. Whatever it may be, make it clear at this point so that they are able to take your needs into consideration while speaking.

Contact Platinum Hearing Aids Today

When you recognize a decline in your hearing, you want to make sure that you turn to someone that you trust to help you find a solution. Platinum Hearing Aids has provided the Detroit area with high-quality hearing tests and hearing aids for years. If you’re ready to start working towards a solution with your hearing loss, contact our team today. We would be more than happy to set up an appointment for you so that we can start working on a solution for you.