Isn’t pizza great? As long as it meets a few basic criteria (crust, sauce, cheese, etc.) regardless of the toppings, it’s still pizza. Hearing loss is also like this. Symptoms and presentations are a consequence of many different issues – loud noises, genetics, age, ear obstructions – but as long as you have trouble detecting sounds, it’s still hearing loss.
Restricting the damage is normally the first step to take when you begin to detect hearing loss. This is just one simple measure you can take to safeguard your hearing from further harm.
Tip 1: Keep your ears clean
Did you clean behind your ears? It’s one of those early hygiene lessons you learn (or should have learned), right? When it involves hearing health, we’re not concerned with the areas behind your ears, but rather your inner ears.
Keeping your ears free of wax accumulation can help your hearing in a number of different ways:
- Sound waves will have a more difficult time reaching your inner ear if you have significant accumulation. Your hearing becomes compromised as a result.
- Earwax accumulation also impedes the functioning of your hearing aid if you have one. If this happens you might think that your hearing is getting even worse.
- Your ability to hear can be hampered by inflammation which is caused by profound ear infection as a result of unclean ears. Your functional hearing will typically come back when then the infection clears up.
- Your brain and your ability to interpret sounds can be impacted over time by untreated hearing loss.
If you notice earwax buildup, it’s absolutely not recommended that you dig around in there with a cotton swab. In most situations, a cotton swab will make things even worse or cause added damage. Instead, use over-the-counter ear drops.
Tip 2: Avoid loud noises that could lead to hearing loss
This one should be pretty obvious. But identifying what constitutes “loud sound” is not easy for most individuals. It’s not just blaring speakers or loud rock concerts that damage your hearing, highway driving can be noisy enough to harm your ears over a long period of time. The motor on your lawnmower can be very straining on your ears also. And, be careful to safeguard your hearing during those 4th of July fireworks!
Here are a few useful ways to avoid noise damage:
- Avoid turning up the volume on your headphones when you’re streaming videos or listening to tunes. Most cellphones include built-in warnings when you’re getting close to a hazardous threshold.
- Using an app on your phone to let you know when decibel levels reach unsafe thresholds.
- When you can’t avoid being in a loud environment, wear hearing protection. Do you work on a loud factory floor? Do you really want to go to that rock concert? That’s cool. Just wear the correct hearing protection. You can get plenty of protection from contemporary earplugs and earmuffs.
The damage to your ears from loud noises will accumulate slowly. So, even if your hearing “feels” fine after a loud event, that doesn’t mean it is. Your hearing can only be properly assessed by a hearing specialist.
Tip 3: If you have any hearing loss, have it treated
Generally speaking, hearing loss is accumulative. So you’ll be better able to avoid further damage if you catch it early. So when it comes to hearing loss, this is why getting it treated is so crucial. Your hearing will be in the best possible condition when you stick to the treatment plan we will lay out for you.
Here’s how treatments work:
- We will give you individualized instructions and guidance to help you avoid further damage to your ears.
- Some, but not all damage can be avoided by hearing aids. For instance, hearing aids will stop you from turning your television volume up so loud it damages your ears. Hearing can prevent further deterioration of your hearing by preventing this kind of damage.
- Mental strain, social isolation, and other hearing loss-related health problems can be prevented by hearing aids.
Minimize hearing loss – it will help you in the long run
While it’s true that hearing loss can’t be cured, in many instances, hearing loss treatment is one of the main ways to prevent it. The correct treatment will help you maintain your current degree of hearing and prevent it from becoming worse.
In the years to come you will be giving yourself the best opportunity for healthy hearing if you get hearing loss treatment from us, use hearing protection, and practice quality hygiene!