The first thing to do, when you begin to identify that you have hearing loss, is to prevent further damage. There are, after all, some simple steps 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 early hygiene lessons you learn (or should have learned), right? But it’s actually the inner ear we’re concerned with keeping clean when it comes to hearing health, rather than behind the ears.
There are several ways that keeping your ears free of wax can help your hearing:
- Untidy ears raise your chances of getting an ear infection, which causes inflammation that (when serious enough) interferes with your hearing. When your ear infection clears, your regular hearing will normally come back.
- When wax accumulation becomes significant, it can prevent sound from reaching your inner ear. As a result, your hearing becomes weakened.
- Over time, neglected hearing loss can affect your brain and your ability to decipher sounds.
- Earwax accumulation also interferes with the functionality of your hearing aid if you have one. This may make it seem like your hearing is getting worse.
If you notice earwax buildup, it’s absolutely not suggested that you dig around in there with a cotton swab. Further damage can be done by cotton swabs and they will frequently make it even harder to hear. Alternatively, use over-the-counter ear drops.
Step 2: Avoid Loud Noises
This one is so obvious it almost shouldn’t be on the list. But knowing how loud is too loud is the real difficulty for most people. Over an extended period of time, for example, your hearing can be damaged by driving on a busy freeway. Also, believe it or not, your lawn mower can take a toll on your hearing. Obviously, it’s more than rock concerts or loud speakers that cause hearing impairment.
Some useful ways to escape harmful noises include:
- When decibel levels get too loud, an app on your phone can warn you of that.
- Using hearing protection when noisy environments can’t be avoided. Do you work on a loud factory floor? Do you really want to attend that rock concert? That’s cool. But be sure to wear the appropriate protection for your hearing. A perfect illustration would be earplugs or earmuffs.
- When you’re watching videos or listening to music keep your headphone volume at a manageable level. When dangerous volumes are being approached, most phones feature a built in warning.
Damage to the ears from noise doesn’t happen all of a sudden, it builds up slowly. So if you’ve attended a noisy event, you could 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: Treat Any Hearing Impairment You May Have
Generally speaking, hearing loss is cumulative. So, the sooner you recognize the damage, the better you’ll be capable of preventing additional damage. That’s why getting treated is extremely important in terms of decreasing hearing loss. Practical treatments (that you follow through with) will keep your hearing in the best possible condition.
Here’s what you can expect:
- Our guidance will help you learn to safeguard your hearing because it is customized and personalized for you.
- Hearing aids prevent the brain strain and social isolation that exacerbate hearing loss-related health issues.
- Some, but not all damage can be prevented by wearing hearing aids. Hearing aids will, for instance, let you listen to music or the TV at a lower volume, avoiding damage. Because hearing aids counter this damage, they can also prevent further degeneration of your hearing.
Limiting Hearing Impairment Will Benefit You in The Long Run
Although we don’t have a cure for hearing loss, additional damage can be avoided with treatment. One of the main ways to do that, in many instances, is hearing aids. The appropriate treatment will help you maintain your present level of hearing and stop it from getting worse.
Your allowing yourself the best possibility for healthy hearing into the future by using ear protection, getting the proper treatment, and exercising good hearing hygiene.