Hearing loss affects both young and old. According to the CDC, about 20 percent of young people aging between 20 to 29 have noise-related hearing loss.
So, why the concern? Hearing loss, unlike other ailments, can be permanent. Too much noise from factories, food blender, loud music, and freight trains are the current leading causes of hearing impairment.
The good news is that there is something you can do about it. Here are tips on how to keep your ears healthy and sharp.
- Limit Sounds
The loud popping music in clubs sounds fun, but it won’t be long since you develop hearing loss. If you work in a commercial building at the city center, you might not be in control of ambulance siren or hooting vehicles. The loudness of noise and the time you hear it can impair your ears’ ability. If possible, wear protective gears like headphones.
Being an entrepreneur, you can use soundproof walls in your company to protect your workers and yourself.
- Avoid Prolonged Noise
If you find yourself shouting over the noise around you, then it’s too loud to cause hearing loss. Living in a noisy neighborhood or near a factory, sounds from trains and motorcycle can make hearing difficult.
If you live near a plant or quarry, make a point of relocating. Apart from hearing loss issues, you can develop other problems like cancer due to exposure to lead particles.
- Seek Medical Attention
When hearing loss is not treated early enough, it can lead to a permanent issue. When seniors cannot enjoy conversations with friends and family, they feel isolated and uncared for. Sometimes this leads to depression. You can opt to have an online hearing test to determine the cause and how to rectify it.
But as you seek treatment, ensure you’re getting it from a reliable professional. Ears are delicate, and a tiny mistake can lead to a lifetime problem.
- Live a Healthy Lifestyle
Jogging, running, and joining the gym will keep you fit, give you a lean body and still keep your ears safe, sharp, and healthy. Lifestyle-diseases like obesity are the leading causes of hearing loss. Our lifestyles can also trigger heart diseases.
Hence, eat clean and workout. This way, oxygenated blood will reach the cochlea for healthy ears.
- Avoid Smoking
Research shows that smoking tobacco can impair your hearing. This gives you a reason to quit smoking. Also, avoid breathing secondhand smoke; that’s from a smoking partner.
- Wear Protection Gear
Sometimes you cannot avoid being in your environment. It could be due to work and family settlement. If you’re working in a factory, ensure you wear earplugs. For those in the music industry, earmuffs come in handy.
- Remove Earwax Buildup
Ears need to be cleaned often. The wax buildup will muffle the sound. Get help from an expert. More so, you can remove it at home using a home-kit to soften the wax and later wash it out.
Ears are sensitive and crucial programs in the body and need lots of care. Use the tips above to prevent potential hearing loss. But when you notice hearing loss symptoms, seek medical advice.