People of all ages. Prevention of hearing loss starts with limiting exposure to loud sounds or music. Any sound over 90 decibels is damaging to the inner ear. People who work in a noisy environment should wear protective earplugs. For people who have had ear problems as a result of a punctured eardrum or swimmer's ear, care should be taken when engageing in activities that change the pressure in the ears, such as flying or diving.
Divers can wear ear plugs.
Relief of symptoms One of the most common causes of temporary hearing loss is blockage of the ear canal due to compacted ear wax. Once the wax is removed, hearing is restored. Many partly deaf people wear a hearing aid, especially those over 65. Hearing aids that help people with conductive hearing loss consist of a microphone to convert sound to electric signals, an amplifier to increase the strength of the signals, a receiver to convert the signals back to sound, and a battery to power the device. People with sensorineural loss may use hearing aids that transmit sound through bone.