The first thing to do, when you begin to identify that you have hearing loss, is to prevent added damage. There are, after all, some simple measures you can take to safeguard your ears and limit further hearing loss.
Step 1: Keep Your Ears Clean
Did you clean behind your ears? It’s one of those initial hygiene lessons you learn (or should have learned), right? In terms of hearing health, though, we aren’t concerned with the areas behind your ears, but rather your inner ears.
There are numerous ways that keeping your ears clear of wax can assist your hearing:
- Earwax buildup also inhibits the functionality of your hearing aid if you have one. You might end up thinking that your hearing is going downhill because of this.
- Over time, untreated hearing loss can affect your brain and your ability to decipher sounds.
- When wax accumulation becomes substantial, it can prevent sound from reaching your inner ear. This reduces your ability to hear.
- Unkempt ears increase your chances of getting an ear infection, which causes inflammation that (when severe enough) impedes your hearing. When your ear infection goes away, your regular hearing will usually return.
If you observe earwax buildup, it’s definitely not suggested that you dig around in there with a cotton swab. Further damage can be done by cotton swabs and they will often worsen your ability to hear. Alternatively, use over-the-counter ear drops.
Step 2: Avoid Loud Noises
This one should almost be left off the list it’s so intuitive. But identifying how loud is too loud is the real problem for most individuals. Over an extended time period, for example, your ears can be damaged by driving on a busy freeway. Also, surprisingly, your lawn mower can take a toll on your hearing. As you can see, it isn’t just blaring speakers or loud rock concerts that harm your ears.
Here are a few ways to stay away from damaging noise:
- Staying away from turning up the volume on your headphones when you’re watching videos or listening to music. Most phones feature built-in alerts when you’re nearing a dangerous level.
- Using an app on your phone to notify you when volume levels get to unsafe thresholds.
- When you can’t steer clear of noisy environments, use hearing protection. Does your job put you on the floor of a noisy manufacturing plant? Going to a rock concert? That’s great. But be sure to use the appropriate protection for your hearing. A perfect example would be earmuffs and earplugs.
Damage to the ears from noise doesn’t develop all of a sudden, it progresses gradually. So, even if your hearing “feels” fine after a noisy event, it may not be. You can only get a clean bill of health for your ears by a hearing professional.
Step #3: If You Have Any Hearing Impairment – Get it Treated
Hearing loss accumulates most of the time. So, the earlier you recognize the damage, the better you’ll be capable of preventing additional damage. So when it comes to stopping hearing loss, treatment is so important. Practical treatments (that you follow through with) will leave your hearing in the best possible condition.
Here’s what you can expect:
- Hearing aids prevent the brain strain and social isolation that exacerbate hearing loss-related health problems.
- 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. Hearing aids will prevent additional deterioration of your hearing by stopping this damage.
- Our guidance will help you learn to safeguard your hearing because it is customized and personalized for you.
You Will be Benefited in The Long Run by Limiting 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 cases, is hearing aids. The correct treatment will help you preserve your present level of hearing and prevent it from worsening.
When you use hearing protection, practice good hygiene, and pursue hearing loss treatment, you’re taking the correct steps to limit hearing loss while also giving yourself the best opportunity for healthy hearing in the years to come.