Hear, Hear! What's That You Said

While some loss of hearing can be attributed to aging, hearing loss is not just a symptom of old age. Noise is an even greater enemy to hearing. Exposure to loud noise at work or loud music in you can or through a personal stereo can cause substantial hearing loss over time. The inner ear contains tiny hair cells, which respond to audio signals. As we age, some of these cells die naturally, but loud …

…is covered by insurance. While we can't prevent hearing loss that may eventually come with age, we can take steps to preserve our hearing while we're young. Avoid potentially damaging loud noise. Don't blast your stereo or car radio. If you work in a noisy place, where ear plugs of earmuffs. And if you wonder why everyone is mumbling, consider the possibility that it might be your ears, not their speech patterns that have changed.