Life changes when you get older. The older you are, the more health concerns you have to deal with. It’s a natural part of life, and there’s one issue that we’ll all have to deal with at some point; hearing loss.   When I was younger I used to love going to concerts and listening to loud music, but as I’m getting older I find myself turning the volume down because the noise actually hurts my ears.  

I know what you’re thinking, should you really be worried about hearing loss in your 40s?! The truthful answer is that you shouldn’t be overly concerned, but it should be something you actively think about. Hearing loss usually affects people when they go beyond their 40th birthday. The early warning signs start to show, and by the time you’re 60 you need hearing aids. 

When you get to around 60 or 70, some degree of hearing loss is almost guaranteed. However, if you take steps to prevent this problem when you’re younger, then you can delay it and reduce the severity. With that in mind, here’s what over 40s should do to prevent hearing problems:

Spot the early symptoms

Noticing the early signs of hearing loss can help you prevent it from getting worse. How? Because you can see a hearing health professional and get your ears tested. It is much easier to control and reduce the effects of hearing loss if you spot it early on. 

There are plenty of signs and symptoms, but a could that you should really be on the lookout for are tinnitus and the word ‘pardon’. Tinnitus is a ringing in the ears that’s caused by hearing loss, and the word ‘pardon’ shows you keep asking people to repeat what they’re saying. This indicates your hearing is deteriorating. Notice the warning signs and react as quickly as can be!

Turn the volume down

It’s tempting to listen to music on full volume when you’re in the car or at the gym with your headphones in. Unfortunately – and pretty obviously – loud music will damage your ears. The volume is too loud, which can cause problems that lead to hearing loss. 

So, don’t be tempted to raise the volume – keep it at a safe level. Most smartphones have a safe hearing level built-in to the volume controls. When you go above the threshold, it tells you, so you know to lower it back down. 

Protect your ears

Wearing protection is an easy way to delay hearing loss and prevent it from happening for as long as possible. This is mostly useful for individuals that live in noisy environments. The sounds of a city are surprisingly loud and dangerous. Similarly, if you work in loud places, then you expose your ears to loud sounds that can damage them – the same way that your music will. 

Hearing protection is the solution to this problem. There are lots of hearing protection options to choose from, and they all serve the same purpose. They lower the noise levels around you, so your ears aren’t subjected to dangerous sounds. In turn, this stops them from being harmed and prevents hearing loss. 

You don’t want to wear hearing aids in your 40s, be real! Start thinking about your hearing health and do these things to prevent hearing loss from happening.