protect and maintain your hearing: essential products for prevention and improvement

if you find yourself asking people to repeat themselves or have trouble following conversations when you’re in a noisy restaurant, it’s likely a sign of hearing loss. it happens gradually for most people and we tend to shrug it off. and while it can develop with aging, it also affects kids and young adults. in fact, exposure to loud noise over time is the most common reason people have the condition, says the cleveland clinic.

the sooner you take action, the better, because it’s not reversible. devices like hearing aids and other steps to protect your hearing can reduce hearing loss and impact your quality of life. statistics canada reports that hearing loss consistently ranks among the top five causes of years lived with a disability, and an estimated 19 per cent of canadian adults have at least mild hearing loss. the social and health consequences related to the condition are serious – not only embarrassment, but fatigue, anxiety, depression and social isolation. research, including a compelling study from johns hopkins , has also revealed the link between hearing loss and risk of dementia.

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rechargeable hearing aids with noise cancelling for seniors and adults daily living with portable charging case

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as audiology expert bill hodgetts tells university of alberta researchers , there’s a stigma to hearing aids, so people don’t use them because they don’t want to feel old or be perceived as an older person. there’s also the expectations of the technology. hearing aids aren’t designed to restore lost function. the delicate hair cells in the ear damaged by noise, age or medications can’t just be repaired. instead, they use tiny directional microphones and a lot of advanced processing to help minimize distracting background noise, he explains. “they maximize your ability to hear who’s talking to you.”

over-the-counter hearing aids like these from taimei don’t require a hearing test by a hearing professional, so they’re meant for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. they are rechargeable in two to three hours for up to 30 hours of use, compact and lightweight, with an ergonomic design to fit into your ear canal for comfort and ease of use. if you’ve got them, use them! recent evidence suggests that treating hearing loss with hearing aids could potentially help reduce the risk of dementia .

jinghao rechargeable listening amplifiers personal audio headphones device daily living with charging box

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ear wax removal tool by tilcare – ear irrigation flushing system for adults & kids

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wax buildup in your ear can also affect your hearing, so keeping your ears clean is important. you can tilt your head from side to side in the shower letting warm water rinse your ear, or try a home kit that is more thorough. this reusable one by waxiway was rated best overall in people magazine’s review with audiology experts for safety, effectiveness and value. it uses a saline solution to loosen ear wax and flush it out, along with a basin for simple cleanup. why is it important? the skin of your ear canal creates wax to take any debris and move it out of your ear. but with frequent use of ear plugs, in-ear headphones and hearing aids, cleaning your ears should be on your radar. physicians and other healthcare providers can also remove wax buildup, but remember to steer of diy methods like cotton swabs that can damage sensitive structures behind the ear canal, cautions cedars-sinai health .

hearing aid wax guards & cleaning kit

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vibes acoustic filter ear plugs – decibel reducing ear plugs for music concert festivals – as seen on shark tank

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in a 2017 episode of the popular shark tank show, the sharks turned down the opportunity to invest in vibes high-fidelity earplugs, but the exposure catapulted sales and moved the new business into the earplug industry to stay, slash gear reports . the brand of acoustically balanced earplugs was designed for concertgoers and musicians to protect their hearing. vibes creator, jackson mann, had ruptured an eardrum while standing too close to a speaker at a concert. the earplugs lower the volume to safe levels without muffling the sound. they can also help with people who have tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and autism processing disorders with sensitivity to sound.

the ontario ministry of labour recommends hearing protection if exposed to 80 decibels or louder for eight hours. the volume at a typical concert or nightclub reaches 120 decibels and recommended maximum exposure is only 15 minutes with no protection, hamilton health sciences notes . short term, you ears might recover, but repeated exposure can mean long term hearing loss.

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protect and maintain your hearing: essential products for prevention and improvement

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