Not all of us are blessed with excellent hearing. Many people suffer from hearing loss from a very young age, and others see (or rather hear) a deterioration as they age. And chances are, you may struggle with hearing yourself.
If you do notice the signs of hearing loss, you should visit your doctor or audiologist for advice and support. They will guide you on the way forward. However, you can also take steps to protect your hearing, and this includes making an effort to avoid the following bad habits we will cover in this article.
Bad Habit #1: Poking around in your ear
If you have a build up of wax in your ear, the tendency might be for you to stick your finger in there and have a dig around. Not a good idea, as the deeper you probe, the higher the chance of you perforating your eardrum. This can result in lasting damage to your hearing. And the same applies to cotton buds or Q-tips. While they can be used to clean the outer rim of your ear, you could cause damage if you push any further. Therefore, avoid sticking anything into your ears in the first place. Use ear drops to soften up the wax and/or visit your doctor for ear irrigation, which is a painless process of cleaning out your ear.
Bad Habit #2: Smoking
You know smoking is bad for you, but did you know it can affect your hearing? As is discussed in this article, research suggests smokers are 70% more likely than non-smokers to suffer from hearing loss. This is because the nicotine and carbon dioxide from cigarettes lower oxygen blood levels and limit the blood vessels that are needed for good ear health. If you ever needed another excuse to give up smoking then, let the state of the long-term health of your hearing make you think you think twice before having another cigarette.
Bad Habit #3: Playing music too loud
When listening to music through your headphones, you should set the volume so you can still hear what is going on around you. If you can’t hear anything other than your rocking tunes, then you have the volume turned up too loud. Prolonged exposure to loud noises will affect your hearing, and this extends to having the television turned up to the max, or listening to music at a concert without some form of ear protection to dampen the noise. You might find reading the information here will be useful to you, so check out the article, and then think twice before turning up the dial on your music in the future.
Bad Habit #4: Drinking alcohol
As with smoking, it will be of no surprise to you to know that drinking alcohol in excess is bad for your health. As well as damaging your liver and your nervous system, studies suggest excessive drinking can also lead to ototoxicity, a condition that creates a toxic environment in your bloodstream which can result in permanent hearing loss. If you don’t want to cut out alcohol from your life forever, the least you can do is moderate your drinking habit to alleviate the risk to your hearing.
Hear this!
Stop poking around in your ear, ditch the cigarettes, turn down your music, and cut back on the alcohol! By taking steps to avoid any of these bad habits, you stand a better chance of good hearing in your life. Consider this today, and see your doctor if you need any further advice.
