In the US, over 25 million people have some form of hearing loss. Hearing loss can be mild, moderate, or severe, and numerous different things can impact your hearing and are likely the one sense you neglect to take care of on a daily basis.
For many people, any level of hearing loss is permanent, although hearing loss caused by illnesses or other conditions can sometimes be restored, giving you full hearing. But for others, wearing a hearing aid can help you to regain some level of hearing and restore your quality of life. However, prevention is better than cure, and while modern hearing aids are more advanced and come with a plethora of features and in various styles, you will still need to know how to care for them and avoid hearing aid mistakes to get the most from your device, but being able to preserve your hearing, for the most part, is the best way forward.
This post looks at some ways you can prevent hearing damage or loss.
Wear Ear Protection
Wearing ear protection in environments where sounds are louder than usual is vital to preserve your hearing. This is especially important if you work in noisy environments like airfields, concert halls, on construction, etc. Sounds over 70 dB (decibel) for prolonged periods can damage your hearing and contribute to hearing loss. To put this into context, normal conversation is around 60dB, and estimates suggest you can safely listen to sounds of 80 dB for 40 hours a week before you begin to sustain any damage to your hearing. With this in mind, wearing hearing protection such as ear muff, ear plugs, or noise-canceling headphones can go a long way in preserving your hearing.
Turn The Volume Down
As mentioned above, loud noise over prolonged periods can damage hearing, so when listening to music, or watching TV, turn the volume down. The less noise your ears are subjected to, the longer iyour hearing will remain healthy and intact. So next time you want to crank the volume up, think twice and consider the harm you can be causing to your hearing.
Eat Better
Did you know that there are vitamins and minerals that can support healthy hearing? Vitamins A, C, and E, along with magnesium, may prevent free radicals that can damage your hearing. They can also play a part in protecting the fine inner ear hairs, which are instrumental in collecting and relaying information to the brain via the auditory nerve. Fill up with leafy green vegetables, dark chocolate, spinach, almonds, tomatoes, milk, eggs, and citrus fruits, to name a few.
Focus on Heart HealthÂ
Heart problems can lead to a buildup of plaque in arteries. This buildup can restrict blood flow, and your ears are very sensitive to blood flow. If left untreated, heart conditions can cause irreversible damage to your hearing, and many studies have found there is a link between poor heart health and hearing loss. So if you want to avoid hearing loss, have that check-up and ensure your heart is in the best condition possible.
Conclusion
Preserving your hearing means protecting your ears from noise damage and different aspect of life that can cause hearing loss. Once you know how to do this, you can proactively care for your hearing.
