Most hearing damage is irreparable, which is why you should be taking good care of your hearing right now, while you still have it. It is perfectly possible to prevent (further) hearing loss if you show your ears the attention they deserve and do your best to look after them.
Here are some of the best ways to show your ears some much-needed attention and maintain your current level of hearing:
Wear Earplugs
No, you don’t need to wear earplugs all of the time, but if you are going to be around loud noises, such as certain construction equipment, loud music, etc., then you need to pop a set in to minimize the impact of those noises on your ears. If you fail to do this, you could end up with tinnitus, or even worse, a loss in your hearing levels.
Lower the Volume
For similar reasons, you should always stay within the safe limits when listening to music on various audio devices Most modern devices will warn you when you’ve turned your music up too loud, and if you ignore those warnings you shouldn’t be surprised to see some loss of hearing in the future. Turn it down.
Recovery Time is Essential
If your ears have been exposed to overly loud noise for a significant period of time – perhaps because you’ve attended a gig – you need to give them enough time to recover before putting them in the path of loud noises again. Studies have shown that 16 hours of relative quiet after a prolonged period of loud noise exposure is ideal, but as much as you can manage will help.
Adjust Your Hearing Aid
If you have already experienced some hearing loss and you wear a hearing aid, it may be necessary to troubleshoot any issues with it and have it tested for its suitability regularly. This will help to keep your ears more comfortable and ensure that your devices are actually effective for you. Batteries should also be replaced if you're using disposable ones or go for hearing aids that are rechargeable available today which are more convenient to use.
Just Say No to Q-Tips
It’s strange that so many of us put Q-tips in our ears so regularly when they are so bad for us. They can easily damage the ear by pushing wax further inside, compacting it, damaging skin and even rupturing the eardrum. If you do need to clean your ears, a liquid solution is what you should be using.
Exercise
Exercise isn’t just good for your heart and your physical and mental health – it’s great for your ears too. Cardio, especially, will pump more blood to the ears, which will help them to work at their best.
Take Certain Medicines Sparingly
There are numerous medications including Ibuprofen, various NSAIDs and the common aspirin which have been shown to be a factor in hearing loss in some cases. So, you should try to minimize the amount of these medications you take. Obviously, if your doctor tells you that you need to take them you should, but do so only as directed and with caution.
Show your ears some love, and they will allow you to keep listening to the things you love!
