Tag Archives: headsets

U.K. Hearing Loss Statistics (Guest Post)

Our thanks again to Thomas Fairclough for sending this guest post  from Asons Solicitors. If you would like to learn more about industrial deafness,or the hearing loss claims process information is available at www.asons.co.uk

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An alarming 1/6 of the UK population suffer from some form of hearing loss. Of those suffering from hearing loss around 6.4 million are over the age of 65+ and about 3.7 million are of working age. Surprising about 3.7 million people aged 16 – 65 have hearing loss, and around 135,000 of them are severely or profoundly deaf.

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Of the 10 million who suffer from hearing loss, more than 800,000 people are severely or profoundly deaf.

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About two million people in the UK need hearing aids, but only 1.4 million decide to use them regularly. Of those who suffer from hearing loss more than six million would benefit from the use of hearing aids.

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About 10% of adults in the UK suffer from constant tinnitus. 1% of adults have tinnitus that affects their quality of life. Similar to hearing loss, the risk of developing tinnitus increases with age. Up to 30% of over 70s experience tinnitus, compared to 12% of people in their 60s and just 1% of people aged under 45.

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Due to the increasing age of the UK population, there will be an estimated 14.0 million people with hearing loss by 2031. The World Health Organisation predicts that by 2031 adult onset hearing loss will b one of the top ten diseases in the UK, more common than diabetes and cataracts.

On average it takes people ten years to finally address their hearing loss. Even when they do decide to take action, 45% of people with hearing aids say that initially their GP failed to refer them directly to an audiologist when they first mentioned that they felt they were suffering from hearing loss.

Note: Hearing loss can be prevented if those exposed to loud environments will wear earplugs or earmuffs that are designed to protect their hearing.  Once the damage is done, it is permanent.  pb

HOW OUR GADGETS DULL OUR PERCEPTION OF OUR SURROUNDINGS (GUEST POST)

The move from vinyl to personal music players, whether walkmans to the iPods that we have now, stirs some musical debate as to what is the proper way to listen to music; which gives us the most benefit as a consumer and which allows us to pick up the richest sound which the artist meant to deliver when producing the record. However, we sometimes forget that in essence we are blasting loud noises directly into our ear drums when listening through ear buds or headsets. For those of us who work in jobs which require headsets, like in retail, security, telemarketing (just to name a few industries or occupations) that is a lot of time with stuff in our ears, which surely can’t be healthy. 

We are certainly more “plugged in” than we once were, say fifteen years ago; a fact which has its own social discussion points, but also health and safety problems. With music players getting smaller and becoming integrated with other devices like our phones, we are more likely to have things in our ears whenever and in more situations, like travelling. Bluetooth and speaking to people through headsets also creates a mental distraction and some find it difficult to multi-task and pay attention where they should. This can be dangerous when outside, if we are not fully aware of our surroundings and in our own worlds, listening to music. For instance, if someone shouts to us to warn us of something we are not aware of, like something falling down, a cyclist or a car speeding around a corner, we wouldn’t realise it. Many safety initiatives now target kids listening to music at crossings because of the amount of accidents that occur in these circumstances. 

Below are a few tips to take on board to ensure your gadgets don’t distract you or get into too much trouble: 

1) Ensure your headphones work properly, and you’re not having to turn them up louder than you should. According to experts, just ten minutes a day of having an iPod up to the full volume can damage hearing. It may very well be worth buying the best set of buds or headphones, and spending that much more, because the cheaper ones tend to require turning the volume up to make up for the poor quality. 

2)Take a break and read more. Many people take headphones with them to keep their minds busy on trips. If you pick something else to distract you, like a magazine or a book, or just the view around you, you’ll save your hearing and find that you’re more social with others. If I’m in a new place I make an effort not to listen to personal music, so I can take in the whole atmosphere and make it a unique experience. 

3) Use speakers when you can. If you’re in the comfort of your home, save your headphones for when you’re in public, or if you’re work allows it, play music at a low level (this will require consulting with your management). 

4) If your headphones do break on one side, fix them yourself or buy new ones; don’t struggle alone with only one side working and turning it up on that side to make up for it. 

5) If you work with headset or earpiece, try to avoid using headphones that day outside of work. Ensure your employer has fully-working equipment. Many industries have very noisy atmospheres, so protecting your hearing with the right equipment is of the utmost importance.

There are ways to clean your ears if you feel like there is a wax build-up that might be causing you to turn up your music louder than you ought to. These consist of home remedies or medical procedures. One way is to pour warm olive oil into the ear canal and keep it in there for two minutes; on gently rubbing the area around the ear (parallel with temple) and then tilting the oil out, any wax should fall out as well.Numerous cinnamon health benefits have been lauded before by many, and this problem is no different; a combination of honey and cinnamon powder (but not cinnamon supplements in capsule form) should be consumed, with half a cup at night, and another half-cup in the morning. A more drastic treatment, though it is by no means considered highly risky, is to have your ears syringed to remove wax that way, though of course this should be carried out by a doctor, and should not be tried at home with a similar tool. Similarly cotton swabs for the ears should not be pushed too far in. 

Paul Ellett has suffered with hearing issues through listening to music for extensive periods of time, and in promoting club nights at university. He has used several of the tips listed above with various levels of success.

ERGONOMICS OF PREVENTATIVE PAIN MANAGEMENT – GUEST POST

Guest Post

Ten tips to ensure a healthy workplace

Workplace wellness is becoming a very popular conversation among employees and employers alike. Managing preventive pain management in the workplace can do much to save both staff and business owner a great deal of time and money. Once an employee experiences pain, for instance in the lower back, due to sedentary work environment, they must seek medical help, which could include missed time from work, decreased productivity during work hours, and medical claims.

On the opposite side of that coin, preventative pain management works to remedy the time and damage resulting from long hours sitting in one position doing repetitive tasks—for example, typing, factory assembly, etc., which can lead to medical conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain and stiffness, chronic lower back pain, eye strain, and even migraine headaches. Simple preventative measures can be taken by employers who choose to install ergonomic desks, for better lower back support, or implement regular breaks for stretching out sore, inactive muscles during the workday.

Here are 10 ergonomic preventative pain management tips to consider in your workplace:

1. Adjust your desk to the right height for you. If your desk is still too high use an inclined foot rest.

2. Adjust your desk chair as well. Your legs should bend at a precise 90-degree angle when you place your feet flat on the floor.

3. When choosing a desk chair with ergonomics in mind, select a chair with good back support.

4. Arm rests are important chair aspects as well and your arms should bend at the elbow and rest on these also at a 90-degree angle.  

5. Place your monitor directly in front of your face. The top of your monitor should be just below eye level. Check for height by extending your arms directly in front of you. Monitors that are too far away will cause you to lean forward for long periods of time, causing the muscles of your chest, neck, back, and arms to strain and remain out of balance.

6. If you type all day long an ergonomic keyboard will be heaven for sore wrists.

7. Your mouse should fit in the palm of your hand properly. Remember, there is not a one size fits all workers.

8. If your job entails talking on the phone while typing, a headset will eliminate neck and shoulder strain (from balancing the phone between your shoulder and ear while you talk and type).

9. Natural lighting is best so workplaces with lots of windows are healthiest for employees’ eyes. If lighting is dim, ensure workers have adequate lighting by removing any harsh fluorescent lighting with track lighting that is easy on the eyes and install desk lamps where necessary.

10. Take frequent breaks throughout the day to move, get the blood circulation flowing in your body, stretch achy muscles as well as the spine. Take the break to also ensure you’re getting enough hydration, as staying well-hydrated will helps your body to detoxify, lubricates joints, and prevents the discs in your back from compressing too much. Compressed discs can cause lower back ache and headaches.

About The Author

Gina M Casillo is a staff writer for Serenity Living Stores, your choice place to buy an Eames chair. She enjoys writing about home décor—especially when it comes to the spaces she’s most intimate with—decorating the perfect play spaces and bedrooms for her two active twin boys, and decorating the ideal work sanctuary.  Thank you very much, Gina, for sending this very informative article.  As one who has done clerical work for a number of years, there is  much truth to the ten tips you mentioned.