Isn’t pizza fascinating? As long as a few criteria are met, you can alter toppings, cheese, and sauce, and it’s still a pizza. Hearing loss is similar. Symptoms and manifestations are caused by a number of different problems, loud noises, genetic factors, age, or ear obstructions, but as long as you have a hard time hearing sounds, it’s still hearing loss.
Frequently, when you’re facing hearing loss (regardless of the variety), the first thing you need to do is try to limit the damage. There are, after all, some simple measures you can take to safeguard your hearing and minimize added hearing loss.
Tip 1: Clean your ears
When you were younger, you probably learned that you need to clean behind your ears. But it’s your inner ears that we’re worried about here, when it comes to hearing health, not the back of your ears.
Keeping your ears clear of wax buildup can improve your hearing in a variety of different ways:
- When wax buildup becomes substantial, it can stop soundwaves from reaching your inner ear. As a result, your ability to hear becomes decreased.
- Unkempt ears raise your risk of getting an ear infection, which creates swelling that when severe enough, interferes with your ability to hear. When your ear infection goes away, your regular hearing will normally come back (but that’s something you should consult a doctor about).
- If you use a hearing aid, earwax can also impact that. This might make you think that your hearing is starting to fail.
If you notice earwax accumulation, it’s absolutely not suggested that you poke around in there with a cotton swab. In most cases, a cotton swab will make things worse or cause additional harm. Over-the-counter ear drops are encouraged instead.
Tip 2: Avoid loud sounds that could cause hearing loss
This one is so instinctive it practically shouldn’t be on this list. The problem is that the majority of people are hard-pressed to characterize what a “loud noise” actually is. A highway, for instance, can be noisy enough that over a long period of time, it can damage your ears. The motor on your lawnmower can be very straining on your ears, as well. As you can see, it’s not only blaring speakers or loud rock concerts that damage your ears.
Here are a number of ways to avoid loud, damaging noises.:
- When you’re listening to music or watching videos, keep the volume of your headphones at safe levels. When approaching dangerous levels, most headphones have a built-in alert.
- When you need to be in a noisy setting, utilize hearing protection. Do you work on a noisy factory floor? Do you really want to go to that rock concert? That’s cool. But you need to use the appropriate ear protection. Contemporary earmuffs and earplugs supply adequate protection.
- When decibel levels get to a dangerous volume, you can use an app on your phone to alert you.
There’s a slow development to hearing loss that’s due to loud sound. So don’t just assume that your hearing is fine after a noisy event, even if it feels fine. We can only help you find out if you have hearing loss if you call for an appointment.
Tip 3: If you have any hearing loss, get it treated
In most situations, hearing loss develops gradually over an extended time period. You’ll be in a better position to stop further damage if you identify your hearing loss early on. That’s why treatment is tremendously important in terms of minimizing hearing loss. Practical treatments (on which you follow through) will put your hearing in the best possible situation.
Here’s how treatments work:
- Some, but not all damage can be stopped by using hearing aids. If you’re using hearing aids, for example, you won’t always need to turn volumes up to damaging levels. This will prevent further noise-related damage.
- When you come in for a consultation we will give you individualized instructions and advice to help you steer clear of further damage to your ears.
- Hearing loss-related health conditions that are exacerbated by social solitude and brain strain can be avoided by using hearing aids.
Limit hearing loss – it will help you in the long run
While it’s true that hearing loss has no cure, hearing specialists are working hard to limit further damage to your hearing. In many cases, hearing loss treatment is one of the main ways to achieve that. The appropriate treatment will help you maintain your current level of hearing and prevent it from worsening.
When you use hearing protection, maintain good hygiene, and get hearing loss treatment with us, you’re taking the proper measures to prevent hearing loss while also giving yourself the best chance of healthy hearing in the future.
