Isn’t pizza great? As long as it meets a few standard criteria (crust, sauce, cheese, etc.) regardless of the toppings, it’s still pizza. Hearing loss is similar. Symptoms and presentations are due to many different issues – loud noises, genetics, age, ear obstructions – but as long as you have trouble hearing sounds, it’s still hearing loss.
Typically, when you’re confronted with hearing loss (no matter the variety), the first thing you need to do is attempt to stop the damage. There are, after all, some easy measures you can take to safeguard your ears and limit further hearing loss.
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? But with regards to the health of your hearing, it’s the inner ear, not behind the ears, that we’re interested in.
Keeping your ears free of wax accumulation can help your hearing in a few different ways:
- Untidy ears boost your risk of getting an ear infection, which causes inflammation that, when severe enough, impedes your ability to hear. Your functional hearing will typically come back when then the infection clears.
- When wax accumulation becomes significant, it can stop sound waves from getting into your inner ear. As a result, your ability to hear becomes weakened.
- Your brain and your ability to interpret sounds can be impacted over time by neglected hearing loss.
- If you use hearing aids, earwax will also interfere with their functionality. This may make it seem like your hearing is worsening.
If you notice earwax buildup, it’s absolutely not recommended that you dig around in there with a cotton swab. Cotton swabs can push the earwax further up into the ear canal and can cause even more harm. Instead, use over-the-counter ear drops.
Tip 2: Try to avoid loud noises that could cause hearing loss
This one should be fairly intuitive. The challenge is that most individuals have no clue what a “loud noise” really is. There are lots of risks to your hearing in day-to-day life and that includes things as common as driving on a loud highway every day over long periods. The motor on your lawnmower can be very straining on your ears too. And, be careful to safeguard your hearing during those 4th of July fireworks!
Some practical ways to avoid damaging noises include:
- When you can’t prevent being in a loud environment, use ear protection. Do you work on a noisy factory floor? Do you really want to attend that rock concert? That’s fine. Just wear the correct hearing protection. You can get plenty of protection from modern earplugs and earmuffs.
- Using an app on your phone to alert you when the volume reaches hazardous levels.
- Avoid turning up the volume on your headphones when you’re streaming videos or listening to music. Most cellphones have built-in alerts when you’re nearing a dangerous threshold.
So if you go to a loud event and your hearing feels fine after, that doesn’t mean it is, because hearing loss is often a slow progression. Your hearing can only get a clean bill of health by a hearing specialist.
Tip 3: Treat any hearing loss you might have
In general, hearing loss is accumulative. So, the sooner you catch the damage, the better you’ll be able to avoid further damage. So in terms of hearing loss, this is why getting it treated is so significant. 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 help you avoid further damage by providing you with individualized advice and instructions.
- Some, but not all damage can be prevented by hearing aids. With a hearing aid, you’re unlikely to crank up the tv to harmful volumes. Because hearing aids prevent this damage, they can also prevent further deterioration of your hearing.
- Hearing aids prevent the brain strain and social isolation that exacerbate hearing loss-related health problems.
Limit hearing loss – it will benefit you in the long run
While it’s true that there’s no cure for hearing loss, in many situations, hearing loss treatment is one of the main ways to prevent it. The appropriate treatment will help you preserve your current level of hearing and prevent it from getting worse.
In the years to come you will be providing yourself with the best opportunity for healthy hearing if you get hearing loss treatment from us, use hearing protection, and practice good hygiene!
