The first thing to do, when you begin to recognize that you have hearing loss, is to eliminate added damage. After all, you can take some basic actions to prevent further damage and protect your ears.
Step 1: Keep Your Ears Clean
Remember learning to make sure you clean behind your ears when you learned general hygiene (or at least should have learned). With regards to hearing health, though, we aren’t worried about the areas behind your ears, but rather your inner ears.
There are numerous ways that keeping your ears free from wax can help your hearing:
- Unkempt ears raise your chances of developing an ear infection, which causes inflammation that (when severe enough) interferes with your hearing. Your hearing will go back to normal after the ear infection clears.
- Your brain and ability to interpret sound will inevitably be impacted by neglected hearing loss.
- Earwax accumulation also interferes with the functionality of your hearing aid if you use one. This could make it seem like your hearing is getting worse.
- When wax accumulation becomes significant, it can stop sound from reaching your inner ear. As a result, your ability to hear becomes weakened.
If you notice earwax buildup, it’s definitely not recommended that you dig around in there with a cotton swab. In most instances, a cotton swab will make things worse or cause additional damage. Alternatively, use over-the-counter ear drops.
Step 2: Avoid Loud Noises
This one should almost be left off the list it’s so obvious. The issue is that most individuals are hard-pressed to define what a “loud noise” actually is. Over an extended time period, for example, your ears can be damaged by driving on a busy highway. Also, surprisingly, your lawn mower can take a toll on your ears. As you can see, it’s not just blaring speakers or loud rock concerts that damage your ears.
Here are some ways to stay away from damaging noise:
- Using hearing protection when noisy environments can’t be avoided. Do you work on a loud factory floor? Going to a rock concert? That’s great. Just use the necessary ear protection. A perfect illustration would be earplugs or earmuffs.
- When you’re listening to music or watching videos keep your headphone volume at a manageable volume. Most phones have built-in alerts when you’re approaching a dangerous threshold.
- When decibel levels get too high, an app on your phone can alert you of that.
Damage to the ears from noise doesn’t happen all of a sudden, it progresses slowly. So, even if your hearing “feels” okay after a loud event, that doesn’t mean it is. Only a hearing specialist can give your ears a clean bill of health.
Step #3: If You Have Any Hearing Impairment – Have it Addressed
Generally speaking, hearing impairment is cumulative. So recognizing any damage early will go a long way to preventing added injury. That’s why treatment is incredibly important when it comes to stopping hearing loss. Practical treatments (on which you follow through) will leave your hearing in the best possible shape.
Here’s what you can expect:
- We can provide individualized guidelines and advice to help you prevent further damage to your ears.
- Hearing aids stop the brain strain and social solitude that exacerbate hearing loss-related health issues.
- Some, but not all damage can be prevented by wearing hearing aids. For example, hearing aids will stop you from cranking your television volume up so loud it damages your ears. Because hearing aids prevent this damage, they can also prevent further decline of your hearing.
You Will be Benefited in The Long Run by Decreasing Hearing Loss
Even though we don’t have a cure for hearing loss, additional damage can be prevented with treatment. One of the primary ways to do that, in many instances, is hearing aids. The appropriate treatment will help you preserve your present level of hearing and stop it from getting worse.
When you use hearing protection, engage in good hygiene, and obtain hearing loss treatment, you’re taking the proper measures to minimize hearing loss while also giving yourself the best chance for healthy hearing in the future.