Typically, when you first notice hearing loss (no matter the type), the first thing you should do is attempt to minimize the damage. There are, after all, some simple steps you can take to safeguard your ears and limit further hearing loss.
Step 1: Clean Your Ears
Remember learning to make sure 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 in terms of hearing health, not behind the ears.
Keeping your ears clear of wax accumulation can help your hearing in a number of distinctive ways:
- When wax buildup becomes severe, it can prevent sound from getting into your inner ear. This diminishes your ability to hear.
- Untidy ears raise your chances of developing an ear infection, which leads to inflammation that (when serious enough) interferes with your ability to hear. When your ear infection clears, your normal hearing will usually come back.
- In the long run, untreated hearing loss can impact your brain and your ability to decipher sounds.
- If you use a hearing aid, earwax accumulation can interfere with its function as well. This could make it seem as though your hearing is getting worse.
You never resort to the use of a cotton swab to attempt to dig out built up earwax. In most cases, a cotton swab will make things worse or cause additional damage. Over the counter ear drops are a smarter idea.
Step 2: Avoid Loud Noises
This one should almost be left off the list it’s so intuitive. But identifying how loud is too loud is the real problem for most people. For instance, freeway driving can be loud enough to damage your ears over an extended time period. The motor on your lawnmower can be pretty taxing on your ears, too. As you can tell, it isn’t just blasting speakers or loud rock concerts that harm your ears.
Here are some ways to avoid damaging noise:
- When decibel levels get too high, an app on your phone can warn you of that.
- When you’re listening to music or watching videos keep the volume on your headphones at a manageable volume. Most phones have built-in alerts when you’re approaching a dangerous threshold.
- When you can’t steer clear of noisy environments, use hearing protection. Do you work on a loud factory floor? Going to see a rock concert? That’s great. But be certain to wear the appropriate protection for your hearing. A perfect example would be earplugs or earmuffs.
Damage to the ears from noise doesn’t happen suddenly, it progresses gradually. So if you’ve attended a noisy event, you might have done damage even if you don’t detect it. Only a hearing specialist can give your ears a clean bill of health.
Step #3: If You Have Any Hearing Impairment – Get it Treated
Hearing loss accumulates generally speaking. So, the sooner you recognize the damage, the better you’ll be able to prevent further damage. That’s why treatment is tremendously important in terms of limiting hearing loss. Effective treatments (on which you follow through) will leave your hearing in the best possible shape.
Here’s what you can expect:
- We can provide personalized instructions and advice to help you prevent further damage to your ears.
- Some, but not all damage can be avoided by wearing hearing aids. For instance, hearing aids will prevent you from cranking your television volume up so loud it damages your ears. Hearing aids will counter further degeneration of your hearing by stopping this damage.
- Hearing aids minimize the brain strain and social isolation that worsen hearing loss-related health issues.
You Will be Benefited in The Long Run by Limiting Hearing Loss
Although we don’t have a cure for hearing loss, further damage can be prevented with treatment. One of the main ways to do that, in many situations, is hearing aids. The appropriate treatment will help you preserve your current level of hearing and prevent it from worsening.
When you wear hearing protection, engage in good hygiene, and obtain hearing loss treatment, you’re taking the correct steps to minimize hearing loss while also giving yourself the best chance for healthy hearing in the years to come.