The first thing to do, when you begin to recognize that you have hearing loss, is to prevent further damage. There are, in fact, some simple steps you can take to protect your ears and limit further hearing loss.
Step 1: Keep Your Ears Clean
Remember learning to make sure you clean behind your ears when you learned basic hygiene (or at least should have learned). When it comes to hearing health, however, we aren’t worried about the areas behind your ears, but rather your inner ears.
Keeping your ears free of wax buildup can help your hearing in several distinctive ways:
- Your ability to hear can also be impeded if you get a severe ear infection which can also be caused by dirty ears. Your hearing will return to normal after the ear infection clears.
- Your brain and ability to interpret sound will inevitably be affected by untreated hearing loss.
- Sound can be blocked from getting into the inner ear when there’s too much wax buildup. This diminishes your ability to hear.
- Earwax buildup also interferes with the functionality of your hearing aid if you use one. You may end up feeling like your hearing is going downhill because of this.
You never resort to using a cotton swab to attempt to dig out built up earwax. Added damage can be caused by cotton swabs and they will often make it even harder to hear. Instead, use over-the-counter ear drops.
Step 2: Avoid Loud Noises
This one is so intuitive it almost shouldn’t be on the list. The problem is that most individuals aren’t entirely certain what a “loud noise” actually is. Over a long period of time, for example, your ears can be damaged by driving on a busy highway. Also, believe it or not, your lawn mower can take a toll on your ears. Obviously, it’s more than rock concerts or loud speakers that cause hearing loss.
Some useful ways to avoid damaging noises include:
- When you can’t steer clear of loud environments, use hearing protection. Does your job put you on the floor of a noisy manufacturing plant? Do you really want to go to that rock concert? That’s cool. Just wear the necessary ear protection. A perfect example would be earmuffs and earplugs.
- When you’re watching videos or listening to music keep your headphone volume at a manageable level. When harmful volumes are being approached, most phones feature a built in warning.
- Utilizing an app on your phone to notify you when decibel levels get to unsafe levels.
The damage to your ears from loud sounds will develop slowly. So, even if your hearing “feels” okay after a loud event, that doesn’t mean it is. You can only get a clean bill of health for your ears by a hearing professional.
Step #3: Treat Any Hearing Loss You May Have
Hearing impairment accumulates most of the time. So catching any damage early on will go a long way to preventing additional injury. That’s why getting treated is tremendously important when it comes to stopping hearing loss. Your hearing will be at the greatest advantage if you seek out and follow through on effective treatment.
Here’s what you can expect:
- Hearing aids can prevent some, but not all, damage. For example, hearing aids will stop you from turning your television volume up so loud it harms your ears. Because hearing aids counter this damage, they can also prevent further degeneration of your hearing.
- Hearing aids prevent the brain strain and social isolation that exacerbate hearing loss-related health issues.
- Our guidance will help you learn to safeguard your hearing because it is customized and personalized for you.
Decreasing Hearing Loss Will Benefit You in The Future
Even though we don’t have a cure for hearing loss, additional damage can be avoided with treatment. One of the principal ways to do that, in many situations, is hearing aids. Getting the proper treatment will not only stop 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 practicing good hearing hygiene.
