Regardless of the magnitude, hearing loss has a significant impact on your everyday life. Hearing difficulties go beyond missing several words or asking people to speak loudly or repeat themselves. Unfortunately, many people cannot accept that they have hearing impairment. Whether you have experienced a hearing problem or not, you should consider the following tips to prevent the worsening of your hearing ability and improve overall hearing health.
1. Wear Your Hearing Aids
Most hearing health professionals prescribe hearing aids to individuals diagnosed with any form of hearing loss. If your audiologist has recommended using aids to improve your hearing health, wearing them as recommended is highly advisable. Hearing aids amplify sound waves, making it possible for the brain's auditory region to perceive sound.
If left untreated, hearing loss can lead to atrophy of the parts that handle auditory signals in the brain, worsening your hearing problems. Fortunately, this can be avoided by strictly using hearing aids. Hearing aids are also beneficial in the following ways:
■ Improves overall health and wellness - Research studies have shown that wearing aids have general health benefits. They reduce loneliness, delay the progression of dementia, and improve quality of life.
■ Affects mental health - Failing to treat hearing loss often isolates people as they can't hear and communicate well with others. There's a strong relationship between depression and hearing loss among American adults. Untreated hearing loss also increases anxiety, anger, and social isolation.
If you have a hearing problem, visit HearCanada for a professional hearing health assessment.
2. Avoid Loud Noise
Avoiding a noisy environment is the best way to improve hearing health and prevent hearing loss. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), more than 26 million U.S citizens have hearing loss related to deafening noise. Fortunately, noise-induced hearing loss is preventable. Below are NIDCD recommendations to prevent hearing loss caused by loud noise:
■ Know the levels of damaging noise (85dB and above)
■ Use hearing protection when exposed to very loud noise
■ Move away from loud noise if you can't protect your ears
■ Protect children who can't protect themselves from loud noise
Turning down the volume of your electronic devices, radio, and TVs is also beneficial. If you must turn up the volume of these devices to hear clearly, you should consider having your hearing health evaluated by a professional.
3. Exercise Regularly
The benefits of physical exercise are widely known. However, most people don't know that exercising regularly can also improve hearing health. Physical activities increase blood flow into the ear and maintain the health of inner ear hair cells. Simple exercises like walking, jogging, and basic garden work are beneficial.
4. Stop Smoking
Smoking is not good for your overall health and can cause hearing loss. A University of Manchester study found that those who smoke have a 28% more risk of developing hearing loss than non-smokers. Smoking increases the likelihood of developing hearing loss by restricting the blood flow and oxygen supply into the inner ear.
Endnote
Eating a healthy diet, cleaning your ears, meditation, and yoga also improves hearing health. However, you should schedule regular checks with hearing healthcare professionals. Audiologists conduct tests to determine and monitor your hearing health.
