This week marks the annual Tinnitus Awareness Week, which is arranged by the British Tinnitus Association. PR and society managed awareness campaigns are commonplace these days, and regularly help get subjects as diverse as addictions, cancers and other traumas in the news. It might seem a little excessive to have a yearly campaign, but we think that the British Tinnitus Association’s annual awareness week is very worthwhile. Here are just five reasons why…
Tinnitus is often preventable
There are a number of things that are thought to cause Tinnitus, these include stress, illnesses and infections, but the biggest and most preventable cause is exposure to loud noises.
Of course, accidents will happen which can accidentally expose us to loud noise but on the whole we are able to recognise risks in advance and wear hearing protection, to take precautions and prevent causing damage to our hearing.
Loud activities are all around us
Most of us recognise that some working environments can expose employees to potentially unsafe noise at work, and employers are bound by law to provide hearing protection to their staff.
Factories, airports and construction sites are among the workplaces where employees regularly find themselves exposed to sound levels above 85dB (the level at which permanent damage can occur) but some more unlikely jobs where decibel levels can exceed recommended levels include deejaying, cleaning and even working as a nursery nurse!
It’s not just at work where noise levels can be unsafe. Riding motorcycles, shooting, driving open topped cars, playing music and going to live concerts are all environments where hearing damage can occur.
Hearing Protection Technology is improving
Some of the objections many people have had towards wearing hearing protection in the past has been that they disliked the feeling of wearing ear defenders or foam ear plugs.
Many people would rather take a chance on their hearing than feel cut off from the world by completely blocking out sounds, which they felt was a safety issue or stopped them fully enjoying their chosen activity.
High-tech noise cancelling electronic ear defenders have been developed to allow wearers to communicate with each other, and not have the isolated feeling often associated with hearing protection, while filtered ear plugs like those produced by Auritech use clever ceramic filters to let safe levels of sound through while filtering out harmful frequencies and high decibel levels.
It’s not just ringing in the ears
While tinnitus is generally characterised by ringing or buzzing in the ears, the effect it can have on your life is no minor annoyance.
Tinnitus sufferers have been known to have problems getting to sleep, have sensitivity to loud sounds and can struggle hearing conversations, especially in louder environments.
Research in America has suggested that people with hearing problems also have a higher than average chance of experiencing mental health problems including anxiety and depression.
Tinnitus can affect career opportunities
Tinnitus can affect one’s job performance and, in some cases can limit career opportunities.
Jobs including working on the railway, airlines, military and emergency services often require employees to pass a medical examination, including a safety critical hearing test, and tinnitus sufferers may find that their opportunities are limited due to their condition.
Remember, many cases of tinnitus are preventable. Find out more at https://www.tinnitus.org.uk/ or browse https://www.auritech.co.uk/universal-fit-earplugs.html to see more about how Auritech can help to protect your hearing.