File this under “Healthful Habits” in retirement …
We went to another big concert on Friday night – ZZ Top & Lynyrd Skynyrd in a double-header event outside at a nearby casino. It was a great show and we had great seats – very close to the main stage and the booming speakers.
For the second straight concert, I brought some foam earplugs that I got on Amazon. I’m now going to recommend these to everyone of a certain age for concerts and other loud events.
Before the concerts, I had breakfast with some old MegaCorp colleagues and was surprised when half of the group said that they now had hearing aids. These guys – like me – are in their late-50s or early 60s. They weren’t wearing them full-time, but many of them said they were specifically having a hard time hearing dialogue at the theater, in movies, or speakers at a lecture.
I mentioned this to my older brothers – when we were playing golf a few weeks ago – and all three of them said they now avoid concerts to some degree. Two of them said they’ve developed tinnitis – an ongoing, annoying ringing sound.
I’ve never had a problem with my hearing or tinnitis, but I guess I need to be cautious. I already have a quiet electric lawn mower, string trimmer, and leaf blower. Now I’m going to start wearing the earplugs at all big concerts.
I noticed the difference immediately after Skynyrd played “Freebird” for their finale and we bolted from the gate to the car. My ears weren’t ringing all the way home like they usually do.
What precautions have you been taking to protect your hearing, vision, and other senses …?
Image: MrFireStation.com
MrFireStation 
This explains why I am suddenly getting mailings inviting me in for a hearing exam and to get fitted for hearing aids paid for by Medicare.
Our family went to a Beach Boys Concert at the LA Greek Theatre on Friday night and the volume was fine so no ear plugs were needed. Thinking back at all the concerts we have attended there, they have all been fine and might have something to do with not disturbing the nearby neighborhood. Out of the 7 concerts we have been to over the past year, I only had to put ear plugs on for Oingo Boingo and they were at another venue. I always have them with me, just in case.
Of course we all wear hearing protection when participating in shooting sports. Active Protection allows you to hear conversations and protect your hearing at the same time. I only use my ear plugs when using a chain saw or line trimmer. My commercial grade mower is quiet enough.
My wife once intervened with an aerobics class instructor at a gym who was cranking up her music too loud. My wife told the instructor that she is the ghost of her 50 year old self and that her 50 year old ghost is telling her to turn down the volume so she can hear!
Avoiding or delaying cataracts is an area I pay attention to by protecting my eyes from UV damage by always wearing UV blocking sun glasses when outside during the day.
An emerging area is the role of a proper diet and exercise to avoid hearing loss. The same holds for eye health, skin health, mental acuity and much more. This is just an example from a mainstream publication that came up when I searched “diet to avoid hearing loss”.
https://www.consumerreports.org/hearing-ear-care/what-you-eat-can-protect-your-hearing-diet-hearing-connection/
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I suppose that eating healthy is good for everything else … so ears are no exception. Makes sense that blood flow through those tiny vessels gets better if the right stuff is moving through. Thanks for including that article!
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