“a unit used to measure the intensity of a sound“
Growing up we in the 50s-60s, we didn’t care about being exposed to loud sounds, especially live music. Then, as we moved into adulthood, we may have dealt with loud sounds at work or at home with screaming babies/kids. I worked with large mainframe computers starting in my late 20s and got to listen to the sounds of the huge printers that ran all day long. In my 40s I woke one morning with tinnitus. It scared me, it came on so suddenly. After a visit to an audiologist, I was assured there was nothing to worry about but I should start protecting my hearing. So when I started riding a motorcycle, I wore foam earplugs.
Everything I read said after time I wouldn’t notice it. Well, I’m in my late 70s and I still have these crickets chirping in my ears, but I have gotten good at ignoring it most of the time. My hearing tests have all been good showing very little hearing loss. But I’m married to a retired firefighter/paramedic/chief with over thirty years of service. Needless to say, his hearing has been greatly impacted. Fortunately, workmen’s compensation covers the cost of his hearing aids, supplies, and annual exams.
But all this has made us much more aware of reducing the sounds around us. When we bought a new dishwasher, reducing the decibel level was the first priority. We also both got new over-the-ear bluetooth headphones by Raycon with great noise cancellation and love them. He uses his when mowing or working with tools in his hobby barn as well as listening to his videos on his iPad. For me, it’s for the music. Another change was yesterday when hubby installed a new toilet in our guest bathroom. Surprisingly, it’s much quieter than the old one!
Here’s a pic of me getting the molds made for my custom earplugs
and one of me enjoying my new headphones.
Do you consider the decibel level of appliances you bring in your house or protect your hearing when working with tools, listening to music, or participating in other loud activities?
My A-Z this year are random thoughts, ideas, and whatever pops into my mind for the letter of the day. As in previous years, I will keep it short and sweet.
Till next time!
I have had tinnitus for years and can’t blame it on anything.
I mean, I was a medic in the hospital when I served in the Army, without any exposure to loud noises. And I have not gotten used to it. If anything, it has gotten worse. And all my hearing tests always come back “normal.” I have an audiology appointment coming up.soon, so we’ll see….
That’s the issue with tinnitus and it stinks! I tend to ignore it but it will always be there.
Loud music and bright sunshine to tan us! That was my early ’70s. My late husband was in construction, and did wear ear protection. And eye…
Yup, and I’ve got the skin cancer to show for over 20 years basking on the beaches in Florida. LOL!
I don’t protect my hearing per se, but I surely don’t listen to music as loudly as I used to.
Me neither!
I’m all for noise canceling headphones. The best !!
I have hyperacusis so I think about noise and sound all of the time. There are certain frequencies that will cause me excruciating pain in my ears. So I can’t really tolerate them. For years, I thought that I was just fussy and had a bad attitude. I was diagnosed with hyperacusis and auditory processing disorder when I was in my mid-30s. It helped to have an actual diagnosis because that meant that it was something real, not just attitude. Thank you for your post. It’s good to talk about protecting your hearing.
Ouch! I hate the Dyson style hand dryers, it hurts my ears. I’ve gotten more sensitive as I’ve gotten older but nothing as severe as you. Hugs and thanks for visiting and commenting!
I don’t necessarily do anything other than try not to have music too loud when I listen to it.
Might I ask what kind of headphones you have? I can’t stand using earbuds so when my headphones quit working recently I bought another one to listen to my audio books, however I don’t like them at all and am already looking to replace them.
My husband has had constant tinnitus since he was a wee lad when some yanked/pinched his ear as punishment. I get upset every time I think about it!
They are the basic everyday from Raycon: https://amzn.to/4ckzVFB
I wore mine today when I was tired and needed a nap. They are over-the-ear which is what we both prefer. We both really like them.
Wise advice, Donna! 🙂
Nice to see you pop by again!