Ways To Protect Your Hearing Health

Cover Photo By Pexel

We often have a tendency to assume that hearing loss happens when we get older. However, a lot of people experience hearing loss that could have been prevented. There is nothing more frustrating than experiencing an illness or injury that could have been avoided in there first place, right? With that in mind, we are going to take a look at some of the things that you should do to protect your hearing health.

Use earplugs whenever you are around noises that are loud

The first thing that you should do for the good of your health is to make sure that you use earplugs whenever you are around loud noises. There are lots of noises that can cause hearing damage, especially if you are exposed to them for lengthy periods of time. This includes the likes of chainsaws, lawnmowers, concerts, clubs, and so much more! If you need to shout to speak to another person, you know that the noise is too loud! So, having a pair of earplugs handy always comes recommended. They are easy to obtain and easy to carry around, so it should not be a problem. 

Manage stress levels

It is also vital to manage your stress levels. Anxiety and stress have both been linked to permanent and temporary tinnitus. High levels of stress can result in your body going into fight or flight mode, which is an instinctual reaction causing your body to fill with adrenaline. This stress can travel to your inner ear, resulting in tinnitus symptoms. 

Don’t use cotton swabs to clean your ears

If you currently use cotton swabs in your ears, now is a good time to stop. It is common for people to clean wax out of their ear canal using a cotton swab. However, this is certainly not advisable. A little bit of wax in your ears is not only normal, it is vital. The ears are organs that clean themselves, and wax prevents dust and other harmful particles from getting inside of the ear canal. Moreover, you risk damage sensitive organs, such as your ear drum, if you put anything inside of your ear canal. If you have too much wax in your ears, you can use a damp towel to gently clean around the canal. There are also ear wax removal solutions available as well, which is something to consider. 

Give your ears some time to recover when you have been around loud noises 

You should also make sure that you give your ears some time to recover when you are exposed to loud noises for extended periods of time. If you have gone to a concert, for example, make sure that you give your ears some time to recover. Don’t start listening to loud music in your headphones the following day! Furthermore, researchers have found that your ears require 16 hours of quiet on average to recover from a noisy night out. 

Turn the volume down a little bit 

Last but not least, simply turning the volume down can make a difference. According to the World Health Organization, there are 11 billion young adults and teenagers around the world who are at risk for hearing loss that has been noise-induced because of unsafe use of audio devices. The 60/60 rule is a good one to follow to protect your ears when you are using headphones. This means that you should listen to your headphones for no more than 60 minutes per day with no more than 60 per cent of volume. 

As you can see, there are a number of different steps that you can take to prevent your hearing health. If you do feel that your hearing health is starting to deteriorate, you should book an appointment with an audiologist as soon as possible so that they can carry out the necessary steps. They will be able to determine whether you have hearing loss, and the extent of it. There are so many different hearing aid devices and hearing aid accessories available today, and so there is a lot of help available. There are a lot of people with hearing troubles that lead a normal life, so the sooner you go and see a hearing specialist as soon as possible. 

If you do book an appointment with a hearing aid specialist, make sure you take the time to choose one with care. Spend some time doing research online, and read reviews that have been left by other people who have used the services of the audiologist before.