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Beltone Hearing Aids – District of Columbia
Arming yourself with the facts about hearing loss and its causes will help you make informed decisions, should you experience deterioration in your hearing. Just as we need to brush our teeth and engage in daily physical exercise, preventative hearing care should become part of our overall health care routine. There are many factors that can lead to hearing loss, some of which are preventable. The most common causes of hearing loss include:
- Heredity
- Medications
- Illness
- Normal aging
- Recreational noise
- Occupational noise
There is much we can do to help prevent hearing loss that is caused by recreational and occupational noise. Noise or sound is measured in decibel levels and can be categorized as either being in a safe range, or in a range harmful to our hearing health. Sounds such as a whisper (30 decibels), normal conversation (60 decibels) and a washing machine (70 decibels) are considered to be in the safe range. Other noises that we are often exposed to may fall into the risk category:
- Hair dryer, heavy city traffic, power lawn mowers – 85 to 90 decibels
- Motorcycles – 95 decibels
- Hand drill, snowmobile – 100 decibels
- Rock concert, chain saw – 110 decibels
Sounds that fall into the injury range include an ambulance siren (120 decibels), take-off of a jet engine (140 decibels), 12-guage shotgun blast (165 decibels) and the launch of a rocket (180 decibels). The pain threshold is placed at 140 decibels, with many sounds falling at, or above, this mark. Wearing proper ear protection and avoiding prolonged exposure to noises will go a long way toward preventing certain types of hearing loss.
If you suspect that you may be experiencing hearing loss, or if you feel that you have been exposed to excessive occupational or recreational noise, we encourage you to visit any one of our DC Beltone Hearing Aid Centers for a free comprehensive hearing assessment. Our knowledgeable and professional Hearing Care Professionals will be able to let you know what type and degree of hearing loss you have, if any. If you are diagnosed with hearing loss, they will show you the different types of hearing aids that are recommended to meet your hearing loss and lifestyle needs. Beltone’s lifetime after-care service ensures that all of your hearing care needs are taken care of. You are always welcome to call or visit any one of our 1500 Beltone locations across North America, regardless of where purchased your Beltone hearing aids.
Beltone takes great pride in superior customer service and will answer any questions you may have about hearing aids and your overall hearing health. For more than 70 years, the Beltone name has been synonymous with the highest quality hearing instruments and the latest in hearing technology. If you or someone you care about is experiencing any form of hearing loss, we invite you to make an appointment at your nearest Beltone Hearing Care Center for a free hearing care assessment.
