Unique Occupations with Hearing Risks

When we think about the importance of protecting ourselves from noise induced hearing loss, the occupations that come to mind most often are ones such as concert venue employees, construction workers, factory workers, sports professionals, musicians, miners, etc.

What may be surprising, however, is to learn about all of the jobs that may be just as dangerous to your hearing health, or even more so since most people in these occupations don’t realize they need to protect their ears too.

Here’s a list of some unique occupations that may pose a risk to your hearing.

Preschool Teacher

According to a study conducted by the University of Gothenburg, seven out of ten female preschool teachers deal with auditory fatigue as a result of sound exposure, four out of ten become hypersensitive to noise, and half have difficulty understanding speech. This statistic is higher than what’s found in more expected noise-exposed occupational groups.

Hair Stylist

Although exposure to noises emanating from hair dryers, clippers, blow dryers, body massagers, nail filers, etc. may be intermittent, the repeated exposure to these devices have resulted in growing observations of hearing loss in this bustling industry.

Many of these machines emit noises above the recommended 85-decibel limit, inducing mild to moderate hearing loss that begins to present symptoms within five to ten years of exposure after enough of the cochlea’s hairlike cells responsible for auditory signal transmission become damaged.

Gardener

Yes, even gardeners may be exposed to hearing damage, but not in the way you might expect. Knowledge about the dangers of outdoor landscaping equipment such as lawn mowers and weed whackers is already abundant, and most landscapers take the proper precautions. But physical damage can also occur in atypical ways, such as injury caused by plants such as the Yucca plant.

These popular decorative landscaping plants with long spiky leaves have become more than just a nuisance, as hospital visits as a result of spiking the ear and piercing the eardrum have been reported, sometimes resulting in permanent hearing loss.

Chemist

Risk of hearing loss to chemists and others working in the chemical industry is real and often unexpected. It isn’t the noise that’s causing the damage. It’s the exposure to harmful chemicals that have caused damage to hearing. Compounds containing lead, toluene, n-butyl alcohol and carbon monoxide all have a propensity for inducing hearing loss.

Don’t take your hearing health for granted. The most important step you can take to protect your hearing is to look at your own occupation and the hearing risks that come with the job. You may notice sounds you’re consistently exposed to that you hadn’t noticed before.

Taking the proper precautions to mitigate unnecessary exposure to high decibel noise will go a long way in protecting your hearing health. There may be other risks besides noise exposure that can lead to hearing loss, too. If you have any questions about your profession and its exposure to noise, please don’t hesitate to call our office to talk to a hearing health professional today.