As runners ourselves, we all know how important it is to take care of every aspect of our overall health and well-being in order to perform at our best, but at RUNNEA we ask you a direct question: have you ever thought about how stress and noise may be affecting your hearing?
It may not be the first thing that comes to mind when we think about our workouts or competitions, but hearing health is an important aspect that should not be overlooked, and protecting it can make all the difference to your performance and physical and psychological well-being.
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Go to the Shoe FinderIn this sense, we take this RUNNEA Magazine article to talk about how stress and noise directly affect your hearing and what you can do to protect yourself, including innovative solutions such as Loop Earplugs, which are becoming a popular choice among athletes.
Stress and its impact on hearing health: perceptual phenomenon Tinnitus
Does "stress affects everything" ring a bell? No, it's certainly not a myth, and in the case of hearing, the impact is more serious than we might imagine. When we are subjected to prolonged stress, our body activates a series of biological responses that, over time, can have negative consequences. One of these is the possibility of developing hearing problems.
In situations of elevated stress, our body releases hormones such as cortisol, which can affect blood circulation, reducing the flow to critical areas such as the inner ear. This, in turn, can lead to problems such as tinnitus (that annoying ringing sensation in the ears) or even temporary or permanent hearing loss.
At this point it is necessary to underline that hearing problems such as tinnitus are one of the most common hearing disorders among people subjected to high levels of stress, including athletes. Thus, several studies have demonstrated this connection. According to a report in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, chronic stress can trigger or aggravate tinnitus symptoms, especially in high-performance athletes who are constantly exposed to pressure situations.
So, if you are one of those who are under constant pressure to improve times or perform at your best, your hearing could be at risk.
But there is good news in this regard. What is it? As with other aspects of health, we can manage stress proactively. If you're serious about your hearing wellness, you should integrate stress management techniques into your daily routine, such as breathing exercises, mindfulness or even yoga. It all adds up to keep not only your mind, but also your ears, in their best shape.
Noise and sports practice
If you've had the opportunity to put on your bib and run in a big race or have trained in noisy gyms, you know what we're talking about when it comes to constant noise. It's not just a matter of the volume of music or people cheering; athletes are constantly exposed to noisy environments. From the yelling at competitions to the noise of indoor training, noise exposure is unavoidable. But did you know that this constant exposure can damage your hearing?
When we think of sports like motocross, car racing or even crossfit, noise is more than obvious. But in sports such as running, cycling or even soccer, we are also exposed to high sound levels that, over time, can cause hearing damage. According to the World Health Organization, prolonged exposure to noise levels above 85 decibels can cause hearing loss. To put that into context, a crowded gym or a big city run can easily exceed that threshold.
The impact of noise on hearing is not immediate, and therein lies the danger. We often don't notice the damage until it's too late. If your ears ring after a session at the gym or after a competition, it's a sign that your hearing has been subjected to a damaging level of noise.
Although not a professional athlete, but a big sports fan, the case of well-known musician Phil Collins highlights the connection between noise, stress and hearing loss. In several interviews, the British singer has explained how high levels of stress, combined with prolonged exposure to high volumes of noise during his concerts and activities, severely affected his hearing.
Another particular and illustrative case is that of Lance Allred, the first NBA player with deafness. Allred, who was born with an 80% hearing loss, attributes his condition to a combination of genetic factors and the use of forceps at birth. However, his high-performance basketball career was constantly affected by arena noise and competitive stress, which aggravated some of his hearing problems.
How to protect your hearing: tips for athletes
Now that we know the impact of stress and noise on our hearing health, what can we do to protect ourselves? It's not just a matter of avoiding noise or stress (which is almost impossible in the world of sports), but learning how to manage them effectively.
Some experts in the field have pointed out a number of practical tips:
Control the volume
If you train with music playing, make sure you keep the volume at a safe level. Avoid using noise-canceling headphones at extremely high volumes.
Wear hearing protection
In sports activities where noise is unavoidable, wear hearing protection. Earplugs are designed to reduce noise without sacrificing your ability to stay alert.
Stress management
As mentioned above, stress management is key to protecting both your hearing and your overall well-being. Incorporating relaxation exercises into your daily routine can make a big difference.
Hearing rest
After being exposed to noisy environments, it's important to give your ears a break. Find quiet spaces where you can recover from noise exposure.
Loop Earplugs: an effective solution to take care of your hearing health
It happens to all of us, and it's in the runner's DNA. We are aware that as runners we always want to give the best of ourselves in every training session and/or in every race, but what if we told you that you can do it while taking care of your hearing? This is where the Loop Earplugs come into play. These earplugs are designed specifically for people who are exposed to high noise levels, but don't want to compromise on sound quality or comfort. And we're not just talking about protection in loud situations, such as a race in a crowded stadium. The Loop Earplugs are also useful for indoor workouts, gym sessions, and even for your day-to-day life in urban environments.
What makes them so special? For starters, they're designed with technology that reduces noise without eliminating important sounds. This means you can protect your hearing without completely isolating yourself from your surroundings, which is essential for being aware of what's going on around you when you're out running on the asphalt.
In addition, Loop Earplugs are incredibly comfortable and lightweight, making them an ideal choice for your long runs, or even for running a marathon. And not only are they effective, they also have a modern and discreet design, which does not interfere at all with your running outfit.
Elite athletes are already starting to use them, and the results are amazing:
- Better concentration.
- Less distractions.
- Effective hearing protection that does not compromise performance.
The three top-of-the-line, high-end options from Loop Earplugs:
If you're looking for a practical and effective solution to take care of your hearing while still giving it your all on every run or workout, Loop Earplugs is the perfect choice.
Proactive and protective attitude to avoid problems, a key issue
Noise and stress are two factors that affect our health more than we often realize, and in the case of runners, their effects can be even more pronounced. We're not just talking about how they impact our physical performance, but also how they can affect important aspects of our health, such as our hearing.
Fortunately, we are not unarmed in the face of these challenges. By taking a proactive and protective attitude toward our hearing health, we can continue to perform at our best without compromising our long-term well-being. Incorporating tools such as Loop Earplugs into our sporting routine will allow us to protect our ears while still giving our best with every mile we run.
The recommendation we can make from RUNNEA is clear: don't wait to notice the effects of noise on your hearing health to take action. Loop Earplugs are already available, and they can be our best ally to protect us while we continue training at the highest level. Try them and feel the difference in each session of your individualized training plan!
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