Are You Taking Good Care Of Your Hearing?

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Our lives are filled with sound. Stop and listen right now to what is going on around. Even when you think that there is no sound you may hear the faint hum of your fridge or a distant dog barking. Every day we hear many different sounds, some useful, some irrelevant. Many of the sounds that we hear bring us happiness, some inform us, and some alert us to danger. We bring in so much information from the world around us through our ears, we should do our best to avoid hearing loss.

Hearing loss is not just something that is limited to older people, it is something that can affect you at any point in your life. Whether you are young or old, rich or poor, there are things that can have an adverse effect on your ability to hear and you should do everything that you can to look after your hearing.

Here are some things that you really should be doing to look after your hearing. 

Visit An Audiologist If You Are Worried About Hearing Loss

Paying a visit to the audiologist can be very helpful if you are in any way concerned that you may be experiencing hearing loss. An audiologist will be able to run some tests on you to find out about the range of hearing that you have.

If you and experiencing hearing loss, there could be many reasons for this including an accident, an infection, or exposure to loud noises for a prolonged time. Some things can be treated using medication or by clearing out ear wax, but where this is not the cause, a hearing aid may be worn to bring back your sense of sound. 

Many hearing aids these days even work with your smartphone to make life easier for you. Click here to learn more about the different types of hearing aids and the many benefits of them. 

Looking After Your Hearing

There are many ways that you can take care of your hearing but you should start with avoiding exposure to loud noises. If your job rechinery or you work in a noisy place like a nightclub, then speak with your employer as they should provide you with protective gear for your ears. 

Listening to music at full blast will have a negative effect on your hearing, particularly if you listen to music through headphones. Keep the volume set below the manufacturers safe recommended levels. Learn more here.

Finally, if you have an ear infection or ever notice that your ears feel blocked, visit your doctor and get it treated. Don’t let it become something more serious.

Does My Baby Have Hearing Loss?

It can be difficult to tell if young children have hearing loss, but it’s important to know. Hearing is an essential part of social, emotional and cognitive development in young children. Even mild hearing loss can be enough to have an effect on your child’s ability to develop speech and language. Luckily, if you can catch problems early on, they can be overcome before they cause a problem. What signs should you be looking for?

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Causes of Hearing Loss

Hearing loss can be a birth defect or it can be caused later on. Hearing loss can occur in premature babies, babies born with newborn jaundice or babies with a family history of hearing loss. Some medications can cause hearing loss, as can birth complications, loud noises or infections. Hearing health is important to protect, so know the causes and try to avoid them. 

Symptoms Of Hearing Loss

All newborns should have a hearing test before they leave the hospital. If they don’t pass, then they should be tested gain within three months, in case debris or fluid in the ear caused the failure, rather than hearing loss. After these tests, there are signs to watch out for yourself, although children should continue to have hearing tests at regular intervals between the ages of 4 and 10 to learn more about their hearing. 

For newborns, note their reaction to sudden loud noises, as even newborns should jump at these. By 3 months, they should be able to recognize your voice. At 6 months, most babies will be able to turn their eyes towards the sound of a noise. By 12 months, they should be imitating sounds and starting to produce a few words, like ‘Dada’ or ‘bye’. 

For toddlers, you can look out for limited speech or difficulty learning. Your toddler might be appear to be attentive, or frequently ask for music or the television to be turned up louder. They might fail to respond in conversation, or to their name and might become easily frustrated when there is a lot of background noises. 

If you notice these signs, don’t want for child’s next hearing screen and make an appointment with your Doctor. They can refer you to a pediatric audiologist who will test their hearing to identify if there is a problem and how best to deal with it. If there is hearing loss, don’t panic. There are lots of ways to help. 

There are some surgeries and medical treatments that can help with hearing loss, but the most common solution is hearing aids. Technology in hearing aids is improving all the time, so they are now even smaller than ever, making them suitable for even very young children. They can be fitted comfortably, helping your child to hear properly, allowing them to catch up to their peers with their learning and development. 

Make sure to protect their hearing, by not exposing them to prolonged loud noises, and using earplugs and ear defenders when appropriate.

FAQ About Work Accidents And What To Do Next

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If you have been injured while at work, you may be wondering what your rights are and what you should do next. In this blog post, we aim to give you a helping hand by revealing some of the answers to some of the most common questions that people have about workplace incidents and the steps that they should take. You should also make sure that you have your injury treated properly and if you need help getting the right support then check out workers comp doctor to find a doctor with experience treating accident-related injuries. Continue reading to discover more and get the answers you need!

How long do I have to make a claim? You have three years. This is the time limit on all personal injury cases, and it starts from the date of the accident you were involved in. These time limits are very strict, and there are very few exceptions. The only exceptions relate to injuries that occur over time and thus pinpointing an accident date is impossible. Common examples of this include industrial diseases, repetitive strain injury (RSI), hearing loss and vibration white finger. In these cases, you will have three years from the date of your diagnosis instead. After all, with cases like hearing loss, you will often be claiming against an ex-employer. So, claiming usually happens during the hearing aid fitting process. You can learn more about this online.

Can my employer fire me for making a claim against him/her? Quite simply, no. If they were to sack you, they would only cause much more trouble for themselves. This is because you would then have grounds for unfair dismissal. It will further help your attorney to strengthen your case; click here for more information.

It is vital to recognize that all employers are required to provide a safe and healthy working environment by law. They are also legally required to have insurance in place. Thus, if they are to blame for your suffering, they will recognize that you deserve compensation, and they will also have an insurance policy in place to cover the costs. 

Will I have to go to court? While we cannot say for sure, it is highly unlikely. In fact, did you know that fewer than three percent of personal injury cases end up going to trial? 

How do I make a claim? This is something legal experts will need to help you with. If you take the time to read reviews online, you should be able to find the best professional for your requirements who can give you the assistance you need. Do not rush into this decision, though – take the time to select wisely.

Can I claim against an old employer? – When it comes to claiming after an accident at work in your area, a lot of people find that they are claiming against an old employer. This is especially in relation to industrial hearing loss and industrial diseases, as these often take a while to develop and can be traced back to old working environments.

Do I need to tell my employer about the accident? Yes – this is crucial. By law, all employers are required to have an accident book, and you will need to record the incident in this.

An at-home dad on a mission to keep it real when it comes to food, fun, and raising a healthy, happy family.