Hearing health _

The summer period presents specific challenges for audiology due to exposure to external agents. To find out how to take care of hearing health on holidays, follow these professional guidelines:

• Acoustic protection at events: Avoid prolonged exposure to high-intensity noises (such as peardos or pyrotechnics) at a short distance. The acoustic energy of these events can cause irreversible damage to the ciliary cells.
• Volume hygiene: One of the main recommendations for hearing health is to lower the volume of devices if it prevents close conversations.
• Using headphones: Limit listening time to prevent hearing fatigue.
• Water security: Avoid bathing in unhealthy waters that may contain pathogens. Similarly, try not to travel abruptly to avoid barotrauma due to pressure changes.
• Drying protocol: After the bathroom, your ears dry thoroughly. It is essential not to use bastons or sharp elements that can damage the pipeline or pierce the tympanic membrane.
• Customised protection: We recommend using hypoallergenic protectors as they adapt to the anatomy of the auditory canal, guaranteeing its sealing. Always keep these caps clean and, if you have any discomfort, go to a specialist.

The importance of hearing health does not decrease with cold weather. In winter, the immune system is more vulnerable, so it is vital to follow these guidelines:

• Thermal protection: Avoid direct wind and humidity. The cold end can cause inflammation or exacerbate existing pathologies. The use of wool ear pads is essential to maintaining the temperature of the auditory pavilion.
• Prevention of infections: Sudden changes in temperature favour catarral and otitis panels. If you notice inflammation, you can apply dry heat externally (hot water bag) to alleviate the symptoms.
• Nutrition and systemic support: Following a diet rich in vitamin B-12 (dairy, eggs, red meats) is beneficial for the auditory nervous system.
• Non-invasive hygiene: Use seawater diffusers and strictly avoid the introduction of sharp objects or self-medication.
• Post-infection follow-up: After hearing otitis, it is imperative to perform an auditory review to confirm that there are no sequelae in hearing capacity.

In the field of audiology, we observed that patients take an average of 7 years to seek professional help since they detect the first symptoms. This delay is usually due to preconceived ideas that the current technology has overcome:

• Milestones on cost and complexity: Although there is a perception that they are expensive or difficult to use, current systems offer cost-benefit interfaces and an intuitive, excellent benefit relationship in terms of quality of life.
• Aesthetics and stigma: Modern hearing aids are practically invisible and break down the "aging" bias. Its technology allows adaptation to specific situations that were previously unthinkable.
• Psychological preparation: Understanding the importance of hearing health as part of general well-being helps patients feel prepared to move toward a better hearing.

Constant exposure to intense sounds in the work and social environment can cause cumulative damage to hearing. A harmful sound is considered to be that which exceeds 85 dB SPL.

• Risk scale: A whisper emits 30 dB, while the dense traffic reaches 85 dB and a peak reaches 150 dB. Exposure to these unprotected levels can cause problems (whistles) and difficulty in understanding speech.
• Annual reviews: If you get into intense noises, a check-up with your Prostate Audiologist is vital to detect changes from year to year using painless tests.
• Self-protection strategies: Join powerful sound sources, lower the volume of equipment at home and, in the event of sudden noise, use your hands as a physical barrier.
• Player rule: Never exceed 60% of the maximum volume, don't use them more than 1 hour a day and prioritize external padded helmets on insertion headphones.

Identifying the loss in time is essential to know how to take care of hearing health.
Assess your situation by answering these questions:

1. Do you find it difficult to follow conversations in a group or noisy environment?
2. Do you need to repeat your words frequently?
3. Does your TV's volume disturb others?
4. Do you feel people are dying around you?
5. Do you find it difficult to understand the interlocutor by phone?
6. Do you suffer from regular buzzing (tinnitus)?
7. Difficulty hearing the bell or children's voices?

If you answer yes to 2 or more, go to our centres for a professional study.

Human hearing is by stereo nature, allowing the brain to locate the sound source and filter the ambient noise. If there is a loss in both ears, recommendations for hearing health indicate a binaural adjustment (two hearing aids).

• Technical benefits: You will get a clearer, more natural sound and 3D.
• Brain health: The two hemispheres of the brain remain active, improving understanding in noisy environments and reducing cognitive fatigue at the end of the day.
• Comfort: You won't need to increase the volume so much, which guarantees a richer and more detailed sound perception.

The key to success in audiology is perseverance. When you start using hearing aids, you will discover forgotten sounds.

• Adaptation phase: It is normal that at first the volume seems high; Your brain needs time to readjust to the original sound levels.
• Progressive use: Take them for most of the day, starting with quiet environments and individual conversations before going to more complex situations, such as restaurants or family gatherings.

To ensure performance and know how to take care of hearing health through your devices, follow these maintenance guidelines:

• Daily hygiene: Clean the hearing aids after each use with specific products, always avoiding water, oils or detergents.
• Humidity management: Tattoos for swimming, showering or practising high-breathability sports. At night, use containers with drying or dehumidifying tablets.
• Technical care: Keep the carrier open when you don't use it, protect the device from blows and extreme temperatures, and check the sound output daily to remove wax obstructions.

The choice of the device is a technical process that requires:

• Personalized advice: The audiologist must analyze your lifestyle.
• Advanced benefits: Rate the presence of noise reducers (soft, transient and wind), directionality to filter side sounds and anti-feedback systems to avoid whistles.
• Connectivity: Microaudio technology allows hearing aids to be used as hands-free for calls and music.
• Guarantees: At Multiópticas we offer 30 days of testing, a guarantee of satisfaction and extensions of up to 5 years in selected ranges, with post-sales support throughout our national network.

Protective devices are essential to know how to take care of hearing health in a preventive way:

• For rest: Sleep plugs filter annoying noises but allow critical frequencies to pass (alarm clock, baby crying).
• Noisy environments: If you work with noise, the custom plugs moulded into your ear are the most effective barrier against irreversible acoustic damage.

Understanding the pathology is vital to applying the best recommendations for hearing health:

• Transactional loss: Abnormalities in the external or middle ear. It is mainly offset by power.
• Neurosensorial loss: Located in the inner ear; Requires advanced digital processing to obtain clarity.
• Mixed loss: The most common, combining factors of both types.