Photo credit: Vilma Liella licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition
Can hearing aids help prevent dementia? This comprehensive article in the New York Times magazine section discusses the research suggesting that they might.
Of course, it’s far better to prevent hearing loss in the first place by avoiding loud noise exposure or using earplugs if one can’t avoid the noise. And it’s far cheaper, too.
There are smart phone sound meter apps to measure ambient noise levels, but one doesn’t need a sound meter to know if it’s too loud. If the noise is loud enough to interfere with conversation at the normal social distance of 3 to 4 feet, it’s loud enough to damage your hearing.
Just remember: if it sounds too loud, it is too loud!
