Tag: Permanent Damage

Noise Causes Deafness Problems

Too much noise can make you deaf. If you think this is a joke, ask the estimated 10 million Americans who had had this kind of hearing problem.

The kind of deafness problem they have is what is known as noise induced haring loss. This occurs when too much noise hurts the hair cells in the inner ear and it can result in permanent damage. If this should happen, you will have to use haring aids since there is no way to correct the problem.

You will know when you begin to have this hearing problem when you have a hard time hearing what someone is saying. You will probably have to move closer to that person and even tell them to repeat what they just said.

Two factors that cause deafness problems are time and the intensity. Time is the duration at which you were exposed to it while intensity is measured in decibels.

Almost everyone works a 9 to 5 job or something similar to that which is equivalent to 8 hours. If you happen to work in an environment with noise levels of up to 85 decibels or even more, you could lose your hearing and it is only a matter of time.

You dont become deaf only from working in a loud environment. Studies have shown that this can also happen if you are exposed to firearms, loud explosions, certain hardware equipment, going regularly to a rock concert, using an MP3 player, watching television or listening to the radio, riding a motorcycle or snowmobile, farm machinery and selected childrens toys.

What is so astonishing about this deafness problem is that you dont feel any pain. It is only when you go somewhere that there is not that much noise that you will notice a ringing in your ears and might have a hard time hearing people. This does go away after a few hours or several days but if this happens regularly, this will become permanent.

Some of the early signs of noise induced hearing loss aside from having something repeated to you include the need to turn the volume higher and not being able to hear high pitched sounds. If you think you have this problem, it is best to have your ears checked by a trained professional.

Can this deafness problem be prevented? The answer is yes and this is done by using the proper safety equipment. Examples of these include canal caps, earplugs and earmuffs. You can buy this in the drugstore or from the hardware store.

You should make sure to keep this clean and in good condition at all times. If it is not as effective as it was before, be sure to replace it.

Now that you know that there is such a thing called noise induced hearing loss, you should take the necessary precautions so you dont lose your hearing. If you dont need to buy ear protection, dont stay too long in places that have loud sounds.

As an added precaution, have yourself checked annually by a certified audiologist especially if your job is a high risk for hearing loss. These jobs include construction, farming, firefighting, law enforcement and music. Your employer should provide free hearing protection but if they dont, you should get what is needed to avoid becoming deaf.

How Do You Become Deaf

How do you become deaf? That is a silly question to ask but there are some people who are born with it while others develop it later on in life. Here are some of the causes why some people have deafness problems.

In the case of people in the music industry, studies have shown that deafness problems are caused by loud music. Rock stars like Eric Clapton and Peter Townshend believe that playing in concerts with the speakers at high volumes causes this especially when these are close to you on stage. Permanent damage can only happen if repeated and this business, if you are on tour, this is bound to happen.

If you were an actor or actress, you could develop deafness problems as a result of an accident. William Shatner and former President Ronald Reagan developed this from a loud explosion and gun shot that was fired too close to where they were. The ringing sound did permanent damage to their ears which is why the former president had to wear hearing aid later on in his political career.

A sickness is another cause of deafness problems. Some athletes and celebrities developed a disease at a young age and never recovered fully from it. Two good examples are Miss America 1995 Heather Whitestone and athlete Jeff Float. Although this presented a handicap, this did not stop these two individuals reaching for the stars.

There are also those who are born deaf and in most cases, this is genetic. This is caused by illnesses such as cytomegalovirus (CMV), toxoplasmosis and herpes. Medicines that are used to treat these problems may also cause damage to the hearing system especially ototoxic drugs.

If the infant is born prematurely, he or she is also at risk of being deaf or becoming deaf in the future. This is because they may be born with severe jaundice or experience a lack of oxygen.

It is also possible that the child may lose their sense of hearing as a result of an accident.

Another possibility why you may soon suffer from deafness problems is aging. Studies have shown that as we age, a combination of loud noise, stress, certain illnesses and medicine may make this happen.

You can also suffer from deafness problems if you work in a construction site or airport especially if you do not have any protection.

Can deafness be prevented? In some cases yes while in others no. Since we have no control as to what happens when the female is pregnant, it is hard to prevent that from happening but once the baby is out, there are steps we can take.

First, as parents we should not bring our kids to places that have loud sounds. Since they are young, their ears have not yet fully developed and are very sensitive.

As they grow older, you should teach them about proper safety techniques like wearing ear protectors especially if they have to some home improvement work or when they decide to pursue this later on as a profession.

We should also watch their health because they could suffer from a disease that could give them this problem. If the doctor is about to prescribe a medicine, make sure that one of its side effects is not deafness.

Deafness Problems Can Be Prevented

Deafness problems occur when there is damage in the inner ear. How bad or severe it is caries and there are many factors. Fortunately, it can be prevented and here are a few tips you should know.

First, you should know that hearing loss may be caused by prolonged exposure to loud noise or even a loud explosion. As many as 10 million Americans have this problem.

You could get it from a concert, while partying at the disco or from a gun shot fired close to where you are. As a result, the hair cells in the inner ear of the cochlea may suffer permanent damage and the best way to prevent it from happening is to stay away from such places.

Our ears produce ear wax. This is why it should be cleaned regularly otherwise it will cover it entirely making it possible for you to hear. If you dont take immediate action, you will have to use medication or undergo surgery.

If you happen to work in a loud environment like a construction site or in the airport, you should wear an ear protector. Some examples include earplugs, earmuffs and canal caps that are sold in drugstores and hardware stores. The ideal one is something you are comfortable with using. Just make sure that this is in good condition at all times and replaced when needed.

The same goes when you decide to fire a few shots at the firing range because the weapon will produce a loud bang that has also been known to cause deafness problems.

Some diseases have been known to cause deafness problems and a very good example is meningitis. The good news is that this disease can be prevented by practicing proper hygiene, getting immunization shots and keeping your body healthy.

Certain drugs especially ototoxic are known to cause permanent hearing loss. You should consult with your doctor about this and ask him or her to recommend something else that is safer for you to use.

If you listen to music using a headset or earplugs, never set it at a high volume because this could also cause deafness problems. The same goes when you watch television or listen to the radio at home or in the car.

Deafness problems may be caused a lot of things. It could be genetic, due to an illness, age and noise. While some can be prevented, there is no way to prevent it if it is caused by age or genetics. The good news is that there are ways to treat it like a cochlear implant or with the help of hearing aids.

Early detection of hearing problems helps so it does not get any worse. If you have trouble understanding what people say in a crowded room, need to turn the volume higher, have people repeat what they say or be unable to hear pitched sounds, then you could already have a problem. Go and have yourself checked out by a professional so he or she can let you undergo a hearing test.

Now that you know what causes deafness problems, dont keep it to yourself and spread the word around. A friend or family member that does not take steps to prevent it will most likely suffer from it sooner than you think.

Understanding Kidney Stones

Kidney stones can happen to anyone regardless of gender or age. But studies have shown that this is more common during middle age and three times more in men. So what the symptoms of kidney stones?

The most common symptoms of kidney stones include bloating, blood in the urine, cloudy or foul-smelling urine, an increase in the frequency of urination, nausea and vomiting, pain during urination and tenderness in the abdomen and kidney region.

You may also experience pain that goes on and off. This may last for minutes to several hours which you may feel in the kidney, lower abdomen or groin. You may also have chills, fevers and a loss of appetite which happen to be the same symptoms associated with urinary tract infection or UTI.

What happens then? To find out what is really going on, you have to see your doctor. Once there, you will answer a few questions and then undergo several tests to see if you have kidney stones or not. The results of the test will determine what type of treatment will be done.

If the kidney stone measures 4 mm in diameter or less, there is a strong chance that you dont need surgery and your body can expel it. If it is 8 mm and above, this is the only time that medical intervention is needed.

Medical intervention is another way of saying surgery. There are 4 types of surgery that can help treat kidney stones and these are namely ESWL or extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy, PNL or percutaneous nephrolithotomy, ureteroscopic stone removal and open surgery.

Before you agree to any procedure, you have to know what type of stone is in your kidney. There are 4 types namely calcium, uric acid, struvite and cystine and knowing what it is can already tell you what caused it. It can also help you understand the type of treatment the doctor is recommending.

From there, you can ask how effective is the treatment that they are recommending and what are the risks.

Another good question you can ask is if the kidney stone has caused any permanent damage.

Kidney stones can also be treated by alternative medicine.

You can drink various herbs such as bearberry, cleavers, corn silk, crampbark, gravel root, kava kava, khella, seven barks and stone root. Homeopathic remedies include berberis vulgaris, cantharis, ocimum canum and pennyroyal. Hot packs may also work.

Keep in mind that alternative treatments for kidney stones can only be used if the stones can be expelled by the person. If not, this must be discontinued and a health professional should be the one who will monitor the situation.

Kidney stones should be taken seriously because things could get worse unless it is attended to immediately. You should know that even if the treatment is successful, kidney stones do recur and your best defense against that is prevention.

You will need to make some lifestyle changes and follow the doctors directions because there are a few other things you need to know based on your chemical risk factors. In the end, the power is in your hands because this may put you at risk later on of kidney failure. While getting a transplant is possible, just remember that you have to wait because there are other people who also need it.