There is nothing better than enjoying some music, a podcast, or watching videos on your device, however, the type of headphones and level of volume you adopt when doing this can have an adverse effect on your hearing.

As a general rule we recommend adopting the 60/60 strategy.  This entails the volume on your device being set at a maximum of 60% of the total volume for a listening duration of no more than 60-minutes a day.  We understand that this can be difficult in today’s technology-reliant society, but by being proactive with this can allow to experience benefits later in life.

When choosing headphones we recommend purchasing ones that cover the ears as opposed to the ear buds.

Ear wax is completely normal, healthy and serves several important functions:

• It coats the skin of the ear canal, repelling water and helping to protect it against injury and infection.
• It helps keep the skin inside the ear from getting dry and itchy.
• Ear wax traps dust and germs, keeping them from reaching the eardrum.

We have all heard this before, but using cotton buds in your ears is a big no no. Placing anything into your ear canals can potentially damage your ear drum and other sensitive parts of your ear canal.

If you feel that you have a build-up of wax and would benefit from it being removed, book an ear wax removal appointment with one of our expert clinicians to ensure your ears are cleaned safely and effectively.

The World Health Organisation have highlighted the serious threat posed by exposure to recreational noise with some 1.1 billion teenagers and young adults at risk of hearing loss.  This is due to the unsafe use of personal audio devices and exposure to damaging levels of sound at noisy entertainment venues such as nightclubs, bars and sporting events.

Workplace Health and Safety has done a lot to decrease noise-induced hearing loss in the workplace, however people still neglect to wear earplugs or earmuffs in noisy environments.  Taking simple preventive actions such as wearing earplugs or ear muffs when in loud settings will allow you to continue to enjoy yourself without putting your hearing at risk.

A preferable option to the disposable ear plugs is to get yourself some custom-fit earplugs.

We have a range of custom-fit earplug options that can be tailored depending on your requirements as follows:

• Musician HearSavers – designed to reduce the overall sound dosage without compromising the music quality.
• Solid HearSavers – Work to protect your hearing against loud outside noise. Suitable for industrial workers, builders, construction workers, military / aircraft operators and loud concert goers.
• Water Protectors – Great for Swim Schools and Surfers. Protects your ears from water and infection by keeping them dry while you are in the pool or ocean.
• Communication Earpieces – Great for iPod users and security guards using RT equipment these custom moulded earpieces reduce the outside noise while providing crystal clear sound and voices directly into the ear.
• Sleep Plugs – Great for a good nights sleep or when you would like some peace and quiet while travelling, custom tailored Sleep Plugs are designed specifically for a comfortable nights sleep.

If you are interested in some custom-fit options to protect your hearing, talk to one of our audiologists today and they can show you all the options available to you.

We recommend that you come in for a hearing screening as part of your normal health routine. If you are aged 18 years and over, then this service is free at all Dilworth Hearing Clinics.

Hearing loss can progress gradually from a multitude of causes, including ageing, exposure to noise, genetics, and illness.  Regular checks of your hearing can help you to be proactive in managing your hearing with early loss detection and management.

We know very well the tiredness your eyes can experience as a result of starring at a screen for too long, your ears are just the same.  Just like you need to give your eyes some timeout, your ears can also benefit from a break.

Why not try giving your ears a rest, by stepping outside from your noisy environment and going for a walk in nature.  You can also look to limit the time you are using your headphones.  Your ears will thank you if you give them time to recover.