Usually, when you’re first notice hearing loss (no matter the variety), the first thing you should do is try to control the damage. There are, in fact, some simple steps you can take to safeguard your hearing and limit further hearing loss.
Step 1: Clean Your Ears
Remember learning to be certain you clean behind your ears when you learned general hygiene (or at least should have learned). But it’s actually the inner ear we’re worried about cleaning when it comes to hearing health, not behind the ears.
There are several ways that keeping your ears clear of wax can assist your hearing:
- Earwax buildup also interferes with the operation of your hearing aid if you have one. This could make it seem as if your hearing is getting worse.
- Sound can be blocked from reaching the inner ear when there’s too much wax buildup. This reduces your ability to hear.
- Your brain and ability to interpret sound will inevitably be affected by untreated hearing loss.
- Your hearing can also be interfered with if you get a serious ear infection which can also be a result of dirty ears. Your hearing will go back to normal after the ear infection clears.
If you find earwax buildup, it’s definitely not advisable that you dig around in there with a cotton swab. Further damage can be done by cotton swabs and they will often worsen your ability to hear. Instead, use over-the-counter ear drops.
Step 2: Avoid Loud Noises
This one is so obvious it almost shouldn’t be listed. But determining how loud is too loud is the real issue for most people. Over a long time period, for instance, your ears can be damaged by driving on a busy highway. The motor on your lawnmower can be fairly taxing on your ears, as well. As you can see, it’s not just blasting speakers or loud rock concerts that damage your ears.
Here are some ways to stay away from damaging noise:
- Wearing ear protection when noisy environments can’t be avoided. Does your job put you on the floor of a loud manufacturing plant? Going to a rock concert? That’s great. Just use the correct ear protection. A perfect illustration would be earplugs or earmuffs.
- Using an app on your phone to alert you when volume levels get to unsafe levels.
- Refraining from turning the volume up on your headphones when you’re listening to music or watching videos. When harmful levels are being reached, most phones come with a built in warning.
Damage to the ears from noise doesn’t develop suddenly, it progresses slowly. So if you’ve been to a loud event, you could have done damage even if you don’t detect it. Only a hearing specialist can give your hearing a clean bill of health.
Step #3: If You Have Any Hearing Loss – Get it Treated
Generally speaking, hearing loss is cumulative. So catching any damage early will help prevent added injury. That’s why getting treated is tremendously important in terms of decreasing hearing loss. Your hearing will be at the greatest advantage if you find and follow through on practical treatment.
Here’s how treatments work:
- Some, but not all damage can be prevented by wearing hearing aids. Hearing aids will, for instance, allow you to listen to the TV or music at a lower volume, avoiding damage. Hearing aids will prevent additional degeneration of your hearing by stopping this damage.
- Hearing aids minimize the brain strain and social solitude that worsen hearing loss-related health issues.
- We can provide personalized guidance and advice to help you prevent added damage to your ears.
You Will be Benefited in The Future by Decreasing Hearing Loss
Even though it’s true that there’s no cure for hearing loss, getting treatment for your hearing loss will help stop additional damage. One of the main ways to do that, in many cases, is hearing aids. The appropriate treatment will help you maintain your current level of hearing and prevent it from getting worse.
When you wear hearing protection, exercise good hygiene, and pursue hearing loss treatment, you’re taking the appropriate steps to limit hearing loss while also giving yourself the best chance for healthy hearing in the years to come.