Usually, when you’re confronted with hearing loss (no matter the variety), the first thing you should do is attempt to control the damage. After all, you can take some basic actions to prevent further damage and safeguard your ears.
Step 1: Clean Your Ears
Did you clean behind your ears? It’s one of those initial hygiene lessons you learn (or should have learned), right? When it comes to hearing health, though, we’re not worried about the areas behind your ears, but rather your inner ears.
Keeping your ears free from wax accumulation can help your hearing in a number of distinctive ways:
- When wax accumulation becomes significant, it can block sound from reaching your inner ear. Consequently, your ability to hear becomes weakened.
- Your brain and ability to decipher sound will ultimately be impacted by untreated hearing loss.
- Your hearing can also be interfered with if you get a severe ear infection which can also be caused by unclean ears. Your hearing will go back to normal after the ear infection clears.
- Earwax accumulation also inhibits the operation of your hearing aid if you use one. This may make it seem as if your hearing is getting worse.
You never turn to using a cotton swab to try and dig out built up earwax. Added damage can be done by cotton swabs and they will frequently worsen your ability to hear. Over the counter ear drops are a better choice.
Step 2: Avoid Loud Noises
This one is so instinctive it almost shouldn’t be on the list. But determining how loud is too loud is the real difficulty for most individuals. Over a long time period, for instance, your ears can be damaged by driving on a busy freeway. The motor on your lawnmower can be pretty taxing on your ears, too. Obviously, it’s more than rock concerts or high volume speakers that cause hearing damage.
Here are a few ways to stay away from damaging noise:
- When decibel levels get too loud, an app on your phone can notify you of that.
- Using hearing protection when noisy environments are unavoidable. Do you work on a loud factory floor? Do you really want to attend that rock concert? That’s fun. But be sure to use the correct protection for your hearing. A perfect example would be earplugs or earmuffs.
- When you’re watching videos or listening to music keep your headphone volume at a manageable volume. Most phones have built-in warnings when you’re approaching a dangerous level.
Damage to the ears from noise doesn’t happen abruptly, it builds up slowly. So if you’ve been to a noisy event, you might have done damage even if you don’t detect it. You can only get a clean bill of health for your ears by a hearing specialist.
Step #3: Treat Any Hearing Impairment You Might Have
Generally speaking, hearing loss is cumulative. So, the sooner you catch the damage, the better you’ll be able to prevent additional damage. That’s why getting treated is incredibly important in terms of limiting hearing loss. Your hearing will get the greatest benefit if you find and follow through on practical treatment.
Here’s how treatments work:
- The potential of developing hearing loss related health issues is reduced by using hearing aids because they minimize social isolation and brain strain.
- Hearing aids can stop some, but not all, damage. Hearing aids will, for instance, let you listen to music or the TV at a lower volume, avoiding damage. Because hearing aids counter this damage, they can also stop further degeneration of your hearing.
- Our advice will help you learn to safeguard your hearing because it is customized and personalized for you.
Decreasing Hearing Loss Will Benefit You in The Long Run
Although it’s true that hearing loss can’t be cured, getting treatment for your hearing loss will help prevent additional damage. In many cases, hearing aids are one of the principal ways to achieve that. The appropriate treatment will help you maintain your current level of hearing and stop it from getting worse.
Your giving yourself the best possibility for healthy hearing into the future by using ear protection, getting the correct treatment, and practicing good hearing hygiene.
