{"id":1108,"date":"2021-10-15T22:51:12","date_gmt":"2021-10-15T22:51:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/?p=1108"},"modified":"2021-10-15T22:51:12","modified_gmt":"2021-10-15T22:51:12","slug":"did-you-know-october-is-audiology-awareness-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/did-you-know-october-is-audiology-awareness-month\/","title":{"rendered":"Did You Know October Is Audiology Awareness Month?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do you enjoy listening to the sounds of leaves crunching under your feet at Heather Farm Park<\/a>, the crackle of a bonfire or the tweeting of birds? If you have hearing loss, you may not even realize these beautiful sounds are missing. Fortunately, October is Audiology Awareness Month, which means there\u2019s no better time to do something about your hearing loss<\/a>.<\/p>\n

How We Hear\"Doctor<\/h2>\n

Soundwaves from your environment are captured by the outer ear and travel down the ear canal, which leads to the eardrum. When the soundwave hits the eardrum, a vibration is created, which passes through three tiny bones within the middle ear called the malleus, incus and stapes. This vibration reaches the fluid-filled cochlea in the inner ear, which causes the fluid to move. The movement activates the tiny hair cells that line the cochlea called stereocilia, creating an electrical impulse. This electrical impulse travels via the auditory nerve to the brain where it is interpreted as sound.<\/p>\n

Causes of Hearing Loss<\/h2>\n

Genetics, age and noise exposure are among the most common causes of hearing loss. While there\u2019s not much that can be done about your family history or the march of time, you can do something to prevent hearing loss caused by noise exposure.<\/p>\n

Any sound over 85 dB can cause damage to the stereocilia within the inner ear with enough exposure. For reference, below is a list of common sounds and their decibel outputs:<\/p>\n