The first thing to do, when you start to identify that you have hearing loss, is to prevent added damage. There are, after all, some straightforward steps you can take to protect your hearing and limit further hearing loss.
Step 1: Clean Your Ears
Remember learning to make sure you clean behind your ears when you learned general hygiene (or at least should have learned). In terms of hearing health, however, we aren’t worried about the space behind your ears, but rather your inner ears.
Keeping your ears free from wax accumulation can help your hearing in a number of different ways:
- When wax accumulation becomes substantial, it can prevent sound from getting into your inner ear. This diminishes your ability to hear.
- Unkempt ears raise your odds of getting an ear infection, which produces inflammation that (when serious enough) interferes with your ability to hear. Your hearing will return to normal after the ear infection clears.
- Earwax accumulation also inhibits the functionality of your hearing aid if you have one. This could make it seem like your hearing is getting worse.
- Your brain and ability to decipher sound will ultimately be affected by neglected hearing loss.
If you find earwax buildup, it’s absolutely not recommended that you dig around in there with a cotton swab. In most cases, a cotton swab will worsen the situation or cause additional damage. Instead, use over-the-counter ear drops.
Step 2: Avoid Loud Noises
This one should almost be left off the list it’s so obvious. The problem is that most individuals aren’t entirely certain what a “loud noise” actually is. For example, freeway driving can be loud enough to damage your hearing over a long time period. Also, surprisingly, your lawn mower can take a toll on your hearing. Obviously, it’s more than rock concerts or high volume speakers that cause hearing loss.
Here are a few ways to avoid damaging noise:
- Refraining from cranking the volume up on your headphones when you’re watching videos or listening to music. Most phones feature built-in warnings when you’re approaching a dangerous threshold.
- When you can’t avoid noisy environments, wear hearing protection. Do you work on a loud factory floor? Going to see a rock concert? That’s fun. But be certain to wear the correct protection for your ears. A perfect illustration would be earplugs or earmuffs.
- When decibel levels get too loud, an app on your phone can warn you of that.
Damage to the ears from noise doesn’t happen abruptly, it builds up slowly. So, even if your hearing “seems” fine after a noisy event, it may not be. You can only get a clean bill of health for your ears by a hearing specialist.
Step #3: Address Any Hearing Impairment You May Have
In general, hearing impairment is cumulative. So, the sooner you recognize the damage, the better you’ll be able to prevent further damage. So in terms of slowing down hearing loss, treatment is so important. Effective treatments (that you follow through with) will leave your hearing in the best possible shape.
Here’s what you can expect:
- Hearing aids can stop some, but not all, damage. For instance, hearing aids will prevent you from cranking your television volume up so loud it harms your ears. Because hearing aids counter this damage, they can also stop further deterioration of your hearing.
- We can give personalized instructions and advice to help you avoid added damage to your ears.
- The chance of developing hearing loss related health problems is diminished by wearing hearing aids because they prevent social isolation and brain strain.
You Will be Benefited in The Future by Decreasing Hearing Loss
Although it’s true that hearing loss can’t be cured, getting treatment for your hearing loss will help prevent additional damage. One of the main ways to do that, in many instances, 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, engage in good hygiene, and obtain hearing loss treatment, you’re taking the proper measures to minimize hearing loss while also giving yourself the best opportunity for healthy hearing in the future.