MED-EL recognizes Protect Your Hearing Month to raise awareness about noise-induced hearing loss

October 1, 2023 – (Innsbruck, Austria): The importance of caring for one’s hearing is highlighted each October during Protect Your Hearing Month. MED-EL, a leader in implantable hearing solutions, takes this opportunity to highlight the risks of noise-induced hearing loss – a condition that can be prevented with a few precautionary steps.

Hearing loss is on the rise and already affects approximately 1 in 5 people worldwide – across all walks of life. Although most affected people are 60 years and older, almost 1.1 billion young people are at risk of hearing loss, due to regular and prolonged exposure to loud sounds – especially music.  However, hearing loss caused by excessive noise levels can be prevented with some simple steps.

Dr Patrick D’Haese, Director of Awareness & Public Affairs at MED-EL, has offered his expert advice. He explains, “It is especially important for people to learn about the risks of noise-induced hearing loss. Many are not aware that listening to loud music can potentially harm their hearing.” D’Haese strongly recommends using ear protection at concerts and loud events. “Hopefully, this will be standard practice one day and as common as wearing a seatbelt when driving. This type of hearing loss is preventable, and the necessary steps are so easy to implement.”

How to protect your hearing

MED-EL has shared 6 tips to protect your hearing which are easy to implement: 
1. Limit your exposure to loud noise, if possible.
2. Move away from loud sounds.
3. Wear well-fitted earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones.
4. Turn down the volume of music, especially with in-ear headphones.
5. Give your ears a break.
6. Limit the time you spend listening to music at unsafe loudness levels.

How to keep your ears healthy

There are hearing issues beyond noise that require attention. Proper ear care and cleaning as well as regular ear check-ups are among them. ENT specialists strongly advise against using ear candles, cotton buds or other sharp objects to remove ear wax due to the risk of injuries.

Modern solutions to treat hearing loss

For people with poor hearing there are various treatment options, from hearing aids to hearing implants. For those with the most severe degrees of hearing loss, cochlear implants can be a solution. The most important thing is to act quickly and not delay treating hearing loss.

To learn more about MED-EL, hearing loss and solutions, visit their website where you can also take a free online hearing test. To talk to people with cochlear implants from around the world, connect at www.hearpeers.com/en/connect.

About MED-EL

MED-EL Medical Electronics, a leader in implantable hearing solutions, is driven by a mission to overcome hearing loss as a barrier to communication and quality of life. The Austrian-based, privately owned business was co-founded by industry pioneers Ingeborg and Erwin Hochmair, whose ground-breaking research led to the development of the world’s first micro-electronic multi-channel cochlear implant (CI), which was successfully implanted in 1977 and was the basis for what is known as the modern CI today. This laid the foundation for the successful growth of the company in 1990, when they hired their first employees. To date, MED-EL has more than 2,600 employees from around 80 nations and 30 locations worldwide.
The company offers the widest range of implantable and non-implantable solutions to treat all types of hearing loss, enabling people in over 140 countries enjoy the gift of hearing with the help of a MED-EL device. MED-EL’s hearing solutions include cochlear and middle ear implant systems, a combined electric acoustic stimulation hearing implant system, auditory brainstem implants as well as surgical and non-surgical bone conduction devices. www.medel.com

CEO

Doz. DI Dr DDr med. h.c. Ingeborg Hochmair

Press contact

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6020 Innsbruck
Austria



T: +43 5 7788-1029
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