Isn’t pizza fascinating? As long as a few factors are met, you can alter toppings, cheese, and sauce, and it’s still a pizza. That’s similar to hearing loss. Symptoms and presentations are caused by many different issues, loud noises, genetic factors, age, or ear blockages, but as long as you have difficulty hearing sounds, it’s still hearing loss.
Limiting the damage is the first step you should take when confronted with hearing loss of any variety. There are, after all, some simple measures you can take to protect your hearing and limit additional hearing loss.
Tip 1: Keep your ears clean
When you were younger, you most likely were taught that you need to wash behind your ears. But it’s inside of your ears that we’re concerned with here, when it comes to hearing health, not behind your ears.
Keeping your ears free of wax buildup can improve your hearing in a variety of different ways:
- When wax buildup becomes significant, it can stop soundwaves from getting into your inner ear. Because of this, your ability to hear becomes decreased.
- Unkempt ears raise your chances of developing an ear infection, which causes inflammation that when significant enough, impedes your ability to hear. Your hearing will usually go back to normal after the infection clears.
- Earwax accumulation also interferes with the functionality of your hearing aid if you use one. This may make you think that your hearing is going.
A cotton swab is definitely not the best tool to use to get any earwax that you may have noticed out and is strongly discouraged. In most cases, a cotton swab will make things worse or cause added harm. Over-the-counter ear drops are encouraged as an alternative.
Tip 2: Steer clear of loud sounds that could cause hearing loss
This one is so intuitive it practically shouldn’t be on this list. But what precisely constitutes a “loud sound”? For example, freeway driving can be loud enough to damage your ears over a long amount of time. The motor on your lawnmower can be pretty straining on your ears, as well. As you can tell, it isn’t just blasting speakers or raucous rock concerts that damage your ears.
Some practical ways to stay away from damaging noises include:
- When you’re listening to music or watching videos, keep the volume of your headphones at safe levels. The majority of phones offer built-in warnings when you’re nearing a damaging threshold.
- When decibel levels get to a dangerous volume, you can utilize an app on your phone to alert you.
- Using ear protection when loud environments are unavoidable. Do you work on the floor of a noisy factory? It’s okay if you want to go to that rock concert. But you should use the correct hearing protection. You can get plenty of protection with modern earmuffs and earplugs.
The damage to your ears from loud noises will accumulate slowly. So don’t simply presume that your hearing is okay after a noisy event, even if it feels fine. Only if you come in for a hearing exam can we give your ears a clean bill of health.
Tip 3: Manage any hearing loss you might have
In general, hearing loss is cumulative. You’ll be in a better position to protect against additional damage if you identify your hearing loss early on. When it comes to hearing loss, that’s why treatment is so important. Practical treatments (on which you follow through) will leave your hearing in the best possible situation.
Treatment works like this:
- When you come in and see us we will provide individualized guidance and advice to help you avoid additional damage to your ears.
- Hearing aids can prevent some, but not all, damage. If you’re using hearing aids, for instance, you won’t always have to turn volumes up to harmful levels. This will counter further noise-related damage.
- Hearing aids reduce the brain strain and social isolation that worsen hearing loss-related health conditions.
Limit hearing loss – it will benefit you in the long run
Even though we can’t cure hearing loss, we are doing hard work to help you prevent further damage. In many instances, hearing loss treatment is one of the main ways to accomplish that. The appropriate treatment will help you maintain your current level of hearing and stop it from worsening.
When you wear ear protection, maintain good hygiene, and pursue hearing loss treatment with us, you’re taking the proper measures to prevent hearing loss while also giving yourself the best opportunity for healthy hearing in the years to come.
