So I've noticed lately, as hard is it is for me to admit, that I have some sort of hearing loss. Everything sounds loud enough to me, things don't sound muffled, but I quite often have to ask the kids and wife to repeat themselves, and I noticed that if I'm not paying attention, things sometimes sound.....distant? My ears definitely ring and hiss too, when it's quiet. Anyway, I know it's my own fault. For years when working as a mechanic, and at home too, I didn't wear proper ear protection when I absolutely should have. I should have worn hearing protection, but didn't think it was a big deal at the time.

So I'm curious to hear from some older folks....what are some things you would have done differently when you were younger to protect your health, that you ignored or didn't worry about and have to deal with now?

Injuries come back to haunt you.

I surely would have never smoked that first cigg if I had it to do over.

Yep my hearing is bad also, 15 years of hard rock mining.
Jack-leg drill, jumbo drilling, and of course blasting.
Did wear ear plugs, but should of had Muffs on also.
But only the last few years where required.
Also never use ear plugs at home in the shop .
Work in a hot metal smelter now , nothing to loud there.
Just the loader and excavator if I crank up the stereo

It's my own fault, but company will pay for hearing aids
if I want them. Just putting it off.

After 32 years of working around helicopters, chain saws and Mark III pumps I can't hear worth a hoot.

I did too much shooting without hearing protection when I was young. But I think the biggest contributor to my hearing loss is all the hours running boats without protection. My hearing in the higher pitches is gone. Hearing aids help but kids and women voices are problematic for me. Not hearing my grand daughters is heartbreaking.

… when the colored folk in town get to hollerin… I wish I was deaf lol

Now that’s funny right there.

I wished I would have ate way less candy and donuts.

Those summers I spent working for the local county in high school, I probably should not have been spraying weeds, mulberry and locust trees, etc. with 2-4-D mixed with diesel fuel without wearing proper protective gear.
None of us did. Our boss didn’t enforce it and we were all about getting summer tans on those lightly traveled back county roads.

We didn’t apply much sunscreen when I was a kid either.

And I probably shouldn’t have been drinking from the garden hose as a kid.

And yes I too should have been wearing more hearing protection.

Jim

Times a gazillion on hearing protection

Bush planes,helicopters,chainsaws,outboards, diesel generators,,,,

When traveling I leave at least a couple pairs of 3M earmuffs behind on each trip

Smoking, 21 years cigarette free now.

My hearing is shot but it’s from ear infections when I was a little kid in the 60’s . Had a 25% loss in 1st grade and have always wore ear protection. But all I can say is go to a Shriners or st Jude hospital and you’ll realize life is really good

I ate too much , loved food

40 blood clot , 41 type 2 diabetic

I still love food and when you can cook well enough it doesn't even bother to go to restaurants much you are typically disappointed unless it is some sort of good ethnic food.

I still love it , but now I love it without the carbs and in a lot more moderation and I go to the gym 4-5 times a week and things are getting better I was having circulation issues in the leg with the blood clot , had my first diabetic ulcer last spring , I was standing a lot as I had been for 17 years and it led to circulation issues and that well wasn't good , That is a BIG no thankyou on repeating that ever again.

so when I am wringing wet going into 50 minutes with 10 more to go on the elliptical every other day , I just have to remember how much hobbling around with a hole in my foot sucked.

I treat my health like the saying goes, " when is the best time to plant a tree?" First answer is 20 years ago, second best is today.
My old guy health has greatly improved since I quit smoking 15 years ago, and alcohol a year ago while watching my diet and exercise.
My hearing loss won't be improved on, but I think if I hadn't quit smoking COVID would have gotten me 5 years ago.
Took me quit a while to answer to the guy in the mirror....

My hearing was pretty bad at 30. I blame it mostly on saws and air nailers. But I also shot thousands of rounds of shotgun in my teens and 20s. Of course almost all without even ear plugs. When I changed jobs to fire fighter at 30. They were just starting to use hearing protection riding along side motor in engines in jump seats. Later ear muffs with coms were installed.

I kind of think our generation was the ones decided to teach our kids better. At least I know I did with my kids.
I always took pretty good care of myself with exception of my ears and teeth.
Most of my issues now are just due to genetics. Was nothing I could have done differently for that.

Mac

6 years of a drilling rig, 6 years of factory work, to many loud concerts. At 34 i have constant ringing.

im 45 so not older I don't think, but have issues with my body that could have been avoided.


I have 70% hearing loss in my left ear 40% in the right. Ringing in both. I can't hear in the high frequency range( female voices) backed up by the ear Dr. to my wife . Some would have been avoided wearing ppe. some not most of the left ear damage was from a bad auto wreck. Worst part is I can't tell what direction the limited things i do hear is coming from.

. disk likely could have been avoided if I had used equipment vs packing heavy things in my shoulder being in a hurry and not wanting to wait for the operators to get freed up.


So dont pick up as much heavy stuff when equipment is available, wear operator all the time.

Could add (working on this now even if late) prioritize exercise and sleep and work less. Try to be ok and realize not every day has to be geting things done. That its ok if you have a do nothing unproductive day. ( @ least thats what my wife keeps trying to get pounded in my head.) 45 years of habbit and self identity that working and geting things done all the time its hard to change. Health is forcing the issue some.

I have hearing loss and tinnitus. I don’t here ringing, I hear tones.

I definitely know that I have a degree of hearing loss in my left ear. I assume it's from shooting (right handed) and from years of running big, two stroke, tiller handled outboards with my left hand on the tiller. Should have been wearing ear muffs.

About 45 years worth of running high speed tools all day has definitely taken a toll on my hearing. Can be a blessing at times! LOL

Huh, what did you say. You’ve got to type louder.

Both knees replaced, neck fused, shots for lower back - dsc issue, hearing loss, chainsaws-machinery-shooting, but there was no discussion of hearing protection around here. I would not change a thing that I did, earned it, own it, live with it.

Getting a two hour evaluation in a few weeks to determine if my hearing loss justifies a cochlear implant.

I hear almost no treble sounds. It is like living inside a base drum.

Until I was around 30 years old, I thought I was pretty much invincible, nothing could hurt me. I ignored most precautions you should take. Now I am paying for a lot of it. I used to lift heavy weights in competition. Lots of heavy squats, deadlifts, and bench presses. More that I should have tried. Now, my knees, lower back, and shoulders are pretty much shot. I tried to beat a guy who had dead lifted more than I had. So, I tried to dead lift 600 pounds for the win and tore both my bicep muscles. That was in my later 20s. From all the heavy squats my knees aren't the best. I've been told I should have my right knee replaced. If I had to do it over again, I would still lift weights. Not power lifting, just high reps with lighter weights which is what I do now.

I used to open beer bottles with my teeth if there wasn't a church key (bottle opener for you younger guys) available. Everyone back then thought I was pretty cool to be able to do that. Some parties I would open several cases of beer that way for everybody. In my later years I've needed a lot of dental work as a result of my stupidity. Oh, to be young again!!!!

I worked in a factory for 20 years. 8 of which were in a hearing protection area with loud blowers running on my three furnaces all day. Like 50 blowers the size of half a Volkswagen or so.

I always wore hearing protection. I didn't want to lose my really good hearing b/c its invaluable in OUR outdoor adventures...

Turns out, something I learned and wish I knew all along and why I tell people this story is... EAR PLUGS DON'T KEEP YOU FROM LOSING YOUR HEARING!

Ear plugs just prevent you from going def. So I had better than 20/20 hearing (I know thats not right but you knew what I meant didn't you) and I lost my hearing just to the level that the ear plugs protected me to.

If you look up the best ear plugs you can buy on amazon protect you up to 40dB. Most are around 32dB or something. What's that mean? You wont go def, not that you wont lose hearing.

Now I can hear someone talking but I usually have to watch their lips to know what they are saying. If there is any other noise going on while they are talking... all I can hear is the other noise.

Good luck and be safe out there.

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Each one of those stacks and duct work is a blower. I had three of those machines.

Think of this as a really long pizza hut oven...