5 Top Tips to Maintain Ear Health
Through our hearing system, we are able to perceive sounds and react to them. The hearing system is really complex and without auditory perception, some people can’t imagine their life functioning correctly.
Some people don’t really focus on the blessing that is hearing and do not appreciate it fully until hearing impairment occurs in their lives. Avoiding hearing damage is really simple but not a lot of people are aware of the common noise hazards that can contribute to hearing loss.
If you want to keep your ear health in top shape, read below as we go over essential tips to ensure just that.
Turn the volume down
Going out on a jog soundtracked by your favorite artists at max volume? Well, doing that over a long period of time can seriously impact your hearing in a negative way. Turning the volume up above 60% is not recommended when you are using headphones. A good way to know whether you are exposed to dangerous noise is to check the decibels.
Nowadays, with the power of smartphones that is easy to do as all it takes is an app download. Everything above 75 decibels for an extended period of time is considered dangerous. Be wary of closed-venue concerts as they can range from 90 dB to 120 dB, with the latter having the capacity to immediately damage your hearing. To protect yourself, consider investing in earplugs that will protect your ears from harsh noises; if you can, opt for custom molded earplugs for maximum ear comfort.
If you notice that your ears are ringing after you have been exposed to loud noise, don’t think twice about resting for a couple of hours and even avoid the hustle and bustle of traffic.
Do not ignore the warning signs
On the topic of ringing ears, it’s important not to let any symptoms that produce discomfort or noise in your ears go unchecked. The ringing is called tinnitus and this is a condition that can be acute or chronic. Acute tinnitus can last up to three months and later subside on its own.
Meanwhile, chronic tinnitus can last a whole lifetime and it might even be an indication of other health-related problems – circulatory problems, neck injury, side effects of unrelenting stress, and hearing loss.
To ensure that you aren’t suffering from hearing loss, it’s important to head to the audiologist’s office and let them conduct a hearing test and hearing screening and if needed, a hearing test.
Hearing screening vs. hearing test needs to be explained as they are two different procedures. The screening is conducted to determine whether additional tests need to be done or whether the tinnitus is not caused by something serious. On the other hand, hearing tests are more complex and analyze the performance of different parts of your ear and hearing system.
Avoid cotton swabs
The main go-to option for clearing for most of us are cotton swabs. However, cotton swabs don’t do our ear health any good and just push ear wax further down the ear canal and can cause additional problems – infection due to bacteria.
To clean your ears without causing damage, use just a tiny bit of shampoo while you are washing your hair and gently massage your ears. You can add hydrogen peroxide or baby oil to loosen the wax a bit to make the process smoother. As soon as you turn off the water, grab a towel and pat your ears dry to get any excess water as that can allow bacteria to enter back into the ear canal and cause infection.
Get regular checkups
Be sure to regularly visit your primary care physicians to have your ear checked. If you catch hearing loss at an early stage you can take measures to better protect your ears and treat the condition without serious financial and psychological consequences.
Ask your doctor whether some of the medications that you are using can contribute to hearing loss and see if you can find a replacement if that is the case.
Exercise regularly
You might wonder, what kind of correlation exercise and healthy ears have but the answer is very simple. As we exercise blood pumps through our whole body and every organ is functioning properly. With proper blood flow to the ears, you can rest assured that no hearing loss will affect you.
Final Thoughts
Hearing is a mechanical sense that allows us to perceive and respond to auditory stimuli. Not maintaining proper ear health can contribute to hearing loss, especially in the later parts of our lives. Make sure that you go over our tips and take notes, as you don’t want your hearing abilities to disappear.