Pizza is a fascinating thing. You can change the toppings, sauces, even the cheeses involved, but as long as it meets a few basic criteria, it’s still a pizza. Hearing loss is similar. Symptoms and presentations are due to many different issues – loud noises, genetic factors, age, ear blockages – but as long as you have difficulty hearing sounds, it’s still hearing loss.
Stopping the damage is normally the first step to take when you begin to detect hearing loss. There are, after all, some basic measures you can take to protect your ears and minimize further hearing loss.
Tip 1: Keep your ears clean
Remember when your parents used to constantly ask “did you clean behind your ears”? But when it comes to the health of your hearing, it’s the inner ear, not behind the ears, that we’re worried about.
Your hearing can be helped in numerous ways by keeping your ears free of earwax:
- Earwax accumulation also disrupts the functioning of your hearing aid if you have one. If this happens you may think that your hearing is getting even worse.
- When wax buildup becomes substantial, it can block sound waves from reaching your inner ear. As a result, your ability to hear becomes diminished.
- After a while, neglected hearing loss affects your brain and your ability to decipher sounds.
- Your ability to hear can be obstructed by swelling which is caused by severe ear infection as a result of unclean ears. When your ear infection goes away, your normal hearing will usually return.
If you notice earwax accumulation, it’s absolutely not recommended that you dig around in there with a cotton swab. Cotton swabs can push the earwax further up into the ear canal and can trigger even more harm. Instead, use over-the-counter ear drops.
Tip 2: Loud noise that could lead to hearing loss should be avoided
This one is so intuitive it almost doesn’t need to be on this list. The challenge is that most individuals have no clue what a “loud noise” really is. There are many dangers to your hearing in everyday life and that includes things as common as driving on a noisy freeway every day over long periods. The motor on your lawnmower can be pretty straining on your ears too. And, be careful to protect your hearing during those 4th of July fireworks!
Some practical ways to steer clear of harmful noises include:
- When you’re watching movies or listening to music, watch your headphone volume. Most cellphones include built-in warnings when you’re nearing a harmful threshold.
- When you can’t avoid being in a loud environment, wear hearing protection. Do you work on a noisy factory floor? Do you really want to go to that rock concert? That’s fine. Just use the correct ear protection. Contemporary earmuffs and earplugs provide ample protection.
- Using an app on your phone to alert you when the volume reaches damaging levels.
The damage to your ears from loud sounds will accumulate slowly. So, even if your hearing “feels” fine after a loud event, that doesn’t mean it is. Your hearing can only be properly assessed by a hearing specialist.
Tip 3: Treat any hearing loss you may have
In general, hearing loss is cumulative. So you’ll be in a better position to avoid further damage if you catch it early. So in terms of hearing loss, this is the reason why having it treated is so crucial. Your hearing will be in the best possible condition when you observe the treatment plan we will lay out for you.
Here’s how treatments work:
- We will help you avoid further damage by supplying you with customized advice and guidelines.
- Hearing aids can stop some, but not all, damage. With a hearing aid, you’re unlikely to turn up the tv to harmful volumes. Hearing can prevent further deterioration of your hearing by preventing this kind of damage.
- Brain strain, social withdrawal, and other hearing loss-related health problems can be prevented by hearing aids.
In the long run you will be benefited by using hearing aids
Treatment is one of the main ways to prevent hearing loss in spite of the fact that there is no cure. The correct treatment will help you maintain your current degree of hearing and prevent it from becoming worse.
When you use hearing protection, practice quality hygiene, and engage in hearing loss treatment with a hearing specialist, you’re taking the best steps to limit hearing loss while also giving yourself the best opportunity for healthy hearing in the years to come!