Although it is not always possible to prevent hearing loss – it is often a natural part of getting older – many of the causes of hearing loss are preventable if you take action soon enough, and even if you are already suffering from some degree of hearing loss, it is often possible to stop your aural health from further degrading.
With that in mind, here are three simple things you can do to support your hearing health right now:
1. See your audiologist regularly
If you are already experiencing some level of issues with your hearing health, then it is really very important that you take the time to visit your audiologist for regular checkups.
We know that you probably lead a busy life with lots of important commitments, but the average hearing test takes just 45 minutes to one hour, which means it is not too big of an ask, and of course, the more you know about the state of your hearing health, the better you will be able to look after it.
When you visit the audiologist, they will typically ask you to take a hearing test. If this happens, you will be placed in a soundproofed room and be asked to wear a set of headphones, The audiologist will then play a series of sounds at various pitches and tones, so they can monitor how well you are able to hear. This is a painless procedure and one that can tell you so much about the state of your hearing.
If you are experiencing hearing loss, your audiologist may recommend hearing aids. If they do, it is important that you get them professionally fitted and optimized, and that you wear them regularly to really benefit your hearing health.
2. Protect your ears
Whether you are currently experiencing hearing loss or not, one key thing you can do to support your hearing health right now is to make a real effort to protect your ears, and maintain your current level of hearing.
What does this mean? Basically, it means avoiding as many sources of loud noise – over 85 decibels are thought to be the danger-spot for hearing loss – as you can. This includes things like power tools and industrial equipment, loud music played through your earphones, or loud concerts.
If you aren’t able to avoid loud noises completely, then wearing ear protectors like earmuffs or earplugs is a really good idea. If you can have your ear protection custom-made to perfectly fit your ears, then so much the better, but even off-the-shelf ear protection is better than no ear protection at all.
Prolonged exposure to loud noises is one of the most common causes of hearing loss, which is why you should really take it very seriously and do whatever you can to mitigate against it.
3. Take your vitamins
For some reason, a lot of people don’t connect a healthy diet packed with vitamins and minerals to good aural health, even though we know that vitamins and minerals are good for the body and mind, somehow, we don’t apply that to our ears in the same way, but we really should.
Studies have shown that getting enough of the right vitamins and minerals can really help to improve your hearing and prevent hearing impairment by around 30%.
Obviously, eating a healthy diet is the best way to get the vitamins and minerals you need to support your hearing health, as well as your health in general, but if you think your diet might be lacking in zinc, magnesium, folic acid and B vitamins, in particular, then supplementing will really help you to protect your hearing, and give you an overall health boost to boot.
Of course, if you’re planning to start taking vitamins, it is always a good idea to check with your doctor first. Most people can take vitamins without any problems, but if you have certain health conditions or you’re taking certain medications, you may need to be more cautious.
As you can see, supporting your hearing health is a lot simpler than you might have imagined. As long as you have regular checkups, eat a healthy diet, and do what you can to protect against loud noises, you should be able to maintain a better level of hearing health.
Need to speak to an experienced audiologist about hearing loss, or for more information on how you can support your hearing health? Get in touch with Professional Hearing Aid Associates by calling (785) 940-4101 today.
