Living with hearing loss doesn’t come by instantly. Instead, there are subtle signs, like asking people to repeat a sentence, turning up the television to the point of annoyance, and the inability to remain part of the conversations.
All these signs show that a person is gradually losing the sense of hearing. So, how do people get this hearing loss?
Typically, there are two main causes of hearing loss:
- Age: With time, as we grow older, the body cells, including the hair cells in the ears, cannot function as effectively as before. So they can’t pick up the sound and vibrations well. As a result, you have a hard time listening to sounds around you.
- Noise: Hearing loud sounds over the years can damage your hearing. The loud sound affects the hair cells in the ear, too, reducing the ability to hear sounds over time.
However, there are ways to prevent hearing loss from both aspects. For example, you can avoid exposing your ears to loud noises and slow down hearing loss due to age or keep it from aggravating.
Here are the top ten tips that’ll help prevent hearing loss. Make sure to abide by them and share them with your friends and loved ones to keep them confident, smiling, and active participants in all conversations for as long as possible.
Table of Contents
Top Ten Tips to Prevent Hearing Loss
While hearing loss due to age is understandable, you can reduce the damage due to exposure to loud noises.
The key, however, is to know where to stop or how loud is loud enough. Since it seems easy for us to adjust to loud noises over time, it’s hard for our ears and brains to do the same. Ofte, the damage is so subtle it takes a long time to know how bad the condition is.
Here are some tips that’ll help:
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Use Earplugs
Earplugs come in all shapes and sizes. They are pretty affordable, and anyone can use them. If you work in a place where loud noises are unavoidable, earplugs are lifesavers. Also, try to take breaks to get minimal exposure.
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Volume Control
Turn down the volume, whether it’s the radio, television, laptop, or even a WhatsApp video! If you have to scream to be heard, your volume’s way above the necessary level.
Similarly, turn it down if the sound is coming out of your earphones or if the person beside you can hear whatever you are listening to!
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Avoid Inserting Anything in Your Ear
Yes, we mean any and everything, including the cotton swabs! So no matter how much the urge, avoid inserting paper clips, keys, or bobby pins to scratch that itch. That’ll only cause internal damage and hearing loss. Avoid candling ear as well. Learn more from here (source)
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Use Noise Canceling Headphones
If the background noises distract you alot, block out all sounds with these noise-canceling headphones.
These help you focus on the conversations and music, no matter what you are occupied with at that time, and get your ears a well-deserved rest.
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Exercise
Exercise isn’t just for the body; it also does great for the ears. Exercise induces blood circulation, promoting a good blood and oxygen flow, keeping the internal ear healthy.
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Treat Infections
Whether it’s a common nose, throat, or sinus infection, it can travel back and affect your hearing. Since our sinuses are well connected with the auditory tube and middle ear, any chronic infection can cause irreversible hearing loss.
Other infections like mumps, measles, and meningitis too can affect hearing. So make sure to get yourself treated at the onset of any viral or bacterial infection.
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Be Aware of Tinnitus
One of the first symptoms of hearing loss is when a person experiences ringing in the ears. Typically known as tinnitus, it indicates something wrong with the ears. Never ignore the sign and ring up your doctor right away if you ever feel it happening.
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Be Careful with Head Injuries
Any injury to the head can affect hearing, just like the other organs. Since the inner ear is connected with the temporal bone, an injury or concussion can damage the ear or cause hearing loss.
So make sure to take all preventive measures where possible; helmets and seatbelts are a must when you are on the road.
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Don’t Let the Water In
Make sure your ears are protected when you are swimming. If water enters the ear, it can cause an infection that quickly spreads to the canal, causing infections. Also, be careful while swimming because the water pressure can easily damage the bones inside the ear.
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Use Headphones
Headphones do a great job of reducing surrounding noises or canceling them altogether. If you work in a crowded environment or simply want to block our external noises, you can invest in a good pair of noise-canceling headphones to enjoy mental peace and keep your ears from being exposed to loud noises for extensive periods.
Conclusion
So, just a few tips can help minimize hearing damage. Minimize exposure and get your protective gear on!
However, bear in mind once the damage is done, it’s irreversible. So, take action as soon as you feel the early signs. Book an appointment with your health care provider and work out a treatment plan before it gets too late.
