Your ears do more than help you hear. The small canals contain fluid and minuscule hairs that create physical stability and awareness. Without the ability to hear, people have a difficult time balancing, speaking and protecting themselves from environmental hazards.
As the global life expectancy continues rising, individuals must protect their ears early on to prevent hearing loss. Remaining mindful of your lifestyle’s impacts on your hearing is the first step to preserving your health and longevity.
Here are eight ways to take better care of your ears and decrease your risk of aural complications.
Use earplugs around loud noises
One of the most effective ways to take care of your hearing is by preventing your exposure to loud noises. People who work around heavy machines or attend concerts regularly can wear earplugs to decrease their risk of temporary and permanent hearing loss. Earplugs effectively minimize sounds by up to 30 decibels.
Different types of earplugs offer various levels of noise cancellation. Drugstore earplugs, which use foam to block out certain sounds, are a popular and affordable option. For those seeking more advanced hearing solutions, options like high-fidelity earplugs or electronic noise-reduction devices can provide better comfort and clarity, especially in professional or noisy environments. People who use noise-cancellation products every day may choose to invest in custom-fit reusable versions.
Clean your ears regularly
You can also prevent hearing loss by cleaning your ears regularly, although health professionals suggest that individuals stay away from cotton swabs when cleaning their ears. They can scratch, irritate and damage the ear canal.
Cotton swabs also push wax deeper into the ear, interfering with its natural cleaning process. When you think of your ears’ cleanliness, you may consider the amount of wax inside, but earwax is natural and a sign of a healthy canal.
Dirty ears contain high levels of bacteria and other harmful elements. You can effectively clean your ears by using a washcloth and body soap in the shower. You can also prevent bacterial growth by regularly cleaning ear piercings with rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide.
Lower the volume on your devices
Turning down the volume on your devices may help you improve your ear health. Many young adults are at risk of noise-related hearing loss because of consistent headphone use, but lowering the volume to under 70 decibels can effectively prevent the risk of hearing loss.
Give your ears a break
Hearing loss is one of the most common employee injuries worldwide. Annually, nearly 22 million American individuals are exposed to hazardous noises on the job. If you’re at risk for occupational hearing loss, you should give your ears a rest frequently.
Construction workers, bartenders and professionals in the music industry should take breaks throughout the day, moving to a quiet location for five minutes or so. You should also limit your exposure to noise at home, in order to help your ears recover after a long shift. If you experience tinnitus after short-term exposure to extreme noises, you may need to recover for a day.
Many people experience tinnitus at some point in their lives. A common symptom of the condition is muffled hearing and ringing in the ears. Researchers say the recovery time for tinnitus ranges from 16 to 48 hours, on average.
Evaluate the impact of your medications
Some medications also increase an individual’s risk of hearing loss. It’s important to talk to your health care provider about the effects of your drugs before engaging in long-term use. Additionally, you should only take your medicine as directed, to prevent harm.
A few common medications can cause hearing loss, like aspirin. If you take large doses of the medication, ranging from 8 to 12 pills daily, your risk of hearing complications increases. Some antibiotics, like aminoglycosides, also cause hearing loss in some individuals.
When you take antibiotics, your risk of permanent ear damage increases by up to 60 percent, on average. Likewise, other anti-inflammatory, chemotherapy and diuretic drugs can cause temporary and permanent hearing loss. Eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly can reduce your need for medications and thereby prevent your exposure to ear-damaging elements.
Keep your ears dry
The risk of hearing loss increases when moisture gets trapped in the ear canals. Swimmer’s ear is a common health problem that traps unclean water in the canal. It causes inflammation, pain and redness.
Leaving swimmer’s ear untreated can lead to temporary or permanent hearing loss. Aim to prevent this by keeping your ears dry and avoiding exposure to unclean water. Reaching out to a health provider as soon as you show bacterial ear infection symptoms will decrease your risk of hearing problems, and you can also use earplugs to keep your ears dry when swimming.
Exercise frequently
Maintaining a regular exercise routine is essential for your physical and mental health. As you practice high- and low-intensity workouts, you increase blood flow throughout your body. This also improves oxygen levels and supports ear health.
Researchers at the University of Florida identified a 20 percent increase in ear health among test subjects engaging in regular exercise. They believe working out can prevent age-related hearing loss. Moreover, it minimizes general inflammation, consequently improving a person’s ear functions and overall physical well-being.
Reduce stress and anxiety
Stress and anxiety can cause and worsen tinnitus. You can decrease your risk of hearing loss by practicing mindfulness to relieve stress and using biofeedback processes. Electrodes move through your skin during a biofeedback treatment, gathering biological data.
You can use the data to improve your self-regulation abilities and lower your heart rate and blood pressure. People with high stress and anxiety levels can also engage in meditation and Yoga to enhance their general level of mindfulness. Increasing your awareness of your environment and its influence on your body will help ward off triggers that cause emotional and physical distress.
Regular meditation practices lower stress levels, too, minimizing the risk of hearing loss by increasing a person’s ability to focus and decreasing negative emotions. Along the same lines, they improve a person’s patience and tolerance of triggers. Therefore, over time, a consistent meditation practice can effectively reduce an individual’s risk of hearing loss.
Who is at risk?
After exploring these eight mindful ways to take care of your hearing, you may question whether you’re at risk of declining ear health. Many people can experience hearing loss, especially if they listen to loud music, suffer a head injury, have a high fever or are older. Whether or not you’re at high-risk, however, it’s important that you take preventive steps now to preserve your ear health throughout your life.
Medical disclaimer: This page is for educational and informational purposes only and may not be construed as medical advice. The information is not intended to replace medical advice offered by physicians. Please refer to the full text of our medical disclaimer.
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