{"id":5543,"date":"2018-10-26T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-10-26T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prd-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/?p=5543"},"modified":"2025-11-26T21:54:01","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T21:54:01","slug":"protect-your-hearing-before-too-late","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/protect-your-hearing-before-too-late\/","title":{"rendered":"Protect your hearing \u2014 before it\u2019s too late","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"

Noise is all around us, forming a soundtrack to our lives. The car stereo drowning out the blare of traffic. The leaf blower you use to clean off the sidewalk. Screams and shouts as your kids run through the house. The notorious thunder of cheers at a Seahawks game.<\/p>\n

But what about the long-term effects of the noises we take for granted? Could we be damaging our hearing without even knowing it?<\/p>\n

Noise-induced hearing loss<\/h2>\n

Sounds can be harmful when they are too loud, even for a short time. And the louder the sound, the more damage it can cause to your hearing, and the quicker the damage will occur.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt may start as a temporary shift that returns to normal, such as hearing muffled sounds after a rock concert or ringing in your ears after hearing a loud bang,\u201d says Joni Johnson, AuD, a board-certified audiologist who practices at MultiCare ENT, Allergy & Med Aesthetics in Gig Harbor.<\/a><\/p>\n

These symptoms, while temporary, are a warning.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf your exposure to loud noises continues \u2014 sometimes over a period of years \u2014 temporary muffled hearing can become permanent,\u201d Dr. Johnson says.<\/p>\n

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), research shows that people who are exposed over long periods of time to noise levels at 85 decibels or higher are at a much greater risk for hearing loss, with the extent of the damage depending largely on three things:<\/p>\n