Generally, when you’re confronted with hearing loss (no matter the type), the first thing you should do is attempt to control the damage. There are, in fact, some simple measures you can take to safeguard your ears and minimize further hearing loss.
Step 1: Keep Your Ears Clean
Did you clean behind your ears? It’s one of those first hygiene lessons you learn (or should have learned), right? With regards to hearing health, though, we aren’t worried about the areas behind your ears, but rather your inner ears.
Keeping your ears clear of wax accumulation can help your hearing in a number of distinctive ways:
- Sound can be blocked from getting into the inner ear when there’s too much wax accumulation. As a result, your hearing becomes weakened.
- If you have a hearing aid, earwax buildup can hinder its function also. You may end up thinking that your hearing is going downhill because of this.
- Unkempt ears increase your odds of getting an ear infection, which produces inflammation that (when serious enough) interferes with your ability to hear. Your hearing will return to normal after the ear infection clears.
- Your brain and ability to interpret sound will ultimately be impacted by untreated hearing loss.
You never turn to using a cotton swab to attempt to dig out excess earwax. In most cases, a cotton swab will worsen the situation or cause additional damage. Instead, use over-the-counter ear drops.
Step 2: Avoid Loud Noises
This one is so intuitive it almost shouldn’t be listed. But knowing how loud is too loud is the real difficulty for most individuals. Over an extended time period, for example, your ears can be damaged by driving on a busy freeway. Your lawnmower motor can be pretty taxing on your ears, too. As you can tell, it isn’t just blaring speakers or loud rock concerts that harm your ears.
Some practical ways to stay away from damaging noises include:
- Refraining from turning up the volume on your headphones when you’re watching videos or listening to music. When dangerous volumes are being approached, most phones come with a built in warning.
- When decibel levels get too loud, an app on your phone can warn you of that.
- When you can’t avoid loud settings, wear hearing protection. Do you work on a loud factory floor? Do you really want to go to that rock concert? That’s fun. But be sure to use the correct protection for your ears. A perfect example would be earmuffs and earplugs.
Damage to the ears from noise doesn’t develop all of a sudden, it builds up slowly. So if you’ve been to a loud event, you may 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: If You Have Any Hearing Impairment – Have it Addressed
In general, hearing loss is cumulative. So catching any damage early will help prevent added injury. That’s why getting treated is incredibly important when it comes to decreasing hearing loss. Practical treatments (on which you follow through) will keep your hearing in the best possible condition.
Here’s how treatments work:
- Some, but not all damage can be avoided by using hearing aids. For instance, hearing aids will prevent you from turning your television volume up so loud it harms your ears. Because hearing aids counter this damage, they can also stop further degeneration of your hearing.
- We can give personalized instructions and advice to help you prevent added damage to your ears.
- Hearing aids prevent the brain strain and social solitude that worsen hearing loss-related health issues.
You Will be Benefited in The Long Run by Decreasing Hearing Loss
Although it’s true that hearing loss can’t be cured, getting treatment for your hearing loss will help prevent further damage. One of the primary ways to do that, in many cases, is hearing aids. Getting the correct treatment will not only prevent further damage but also keep your current hearing level intact.
Your allowing yourself the best possibility for healthy hearing into the future by using ear protection, getting the correct treatment, and exercising good hearing hygiene.