Hearing loss is not uncommon, with over 48 million Americans affected by different hearing conditions at one point in their lives. Although this is a huge number, it does not mean that nothing can be done to improve hearing health. Hearing loss is a condition that can affect both the old and young alike. Thus, there is no right age to start paying attention to your hearing health. Here are a few things you can do to improve your hearing.
With the incredible technology that goes into hearing aids lately, you will be doing yourself a huge favor by opting for them. This is especially important if you have been diagnosed with hearing loss and are recommended to use hearing aids. Technology has also gone a long way to improve hearing aid style, comfort, and efficiency. Plus, there are several brands to choose from. Hearing aids provide the required amplification required by the ears to send sound waves to be processed by the auditory part of the brain. Hearing aids are also beneficial to mental health as well as health in general.
- Exercise
Regular exercise is important for so many health reasons. And improving your hearing is one of them. This is especially true in adults, as lesser physical activities have been proven to be associated with a higher risk of hearing loss. Exercise helps in improving the blood flow to the ears. And this helps to support the many tiny hair cells located in the inner part of the ear. These cells are responsible for sending received sounds as electric impulses to be translated by the auditory part of the brain. When these hair cells are destroyed, our hearing suffers permanent damage as the cells cannot be regenerated. This is why exercise is essential to support the cells.
- Turn Down High Volume
How many times have we been cautioned about the negative effects of high volume on our ears? Even our smartphones alert us when the volume of music is too high. High volume is one of the easiest ways to cause permanent damage to our hearing. Noise-induced hearing loss is responsible for a lot of hearing disabilities across the world. To keep your ears safe, stay away from noise louder than 85 decibels. Alternatively, you can wear any form of hearing protection if you know you’re going to be exposed to high levels of noise.
Simple practices like turning down the volume of your music or television can go a long way to protect your hearing.
- No Smoking
Habitual smoking is responsible for so many health issues, and this includes hearing problems. Smokers are nearly 70% more likely to develop hearing problems and permanent hearing damage. This is mainly due to the carbon monoxide and nicotine content. These tend to make the blood vessels tight, and thus, sever the oxygen supply needed by the inner ear to keep the hair cells healthy. If you’re still looking for one more reason to stop smoking, then this is it – aside from the numerous other health challenges the habit comes with.
