The first thing to do, when you start to identify that you have hearing loss, is to prevent further damage. After all, you can take some basic measures to stop additional damage and protect your ears.
Step 1: Clean Your Ears
Did you clean behind your ears? It’s one of those early hygiene lessons you learn (or should have learned), right? In terms of hearing health, however, we aren’t concerned with the space behind your ears, but rather your inner ears.
There are numerous ways that keeping your ears free of wax can assist your hearing:
- Sound can be blocked from getting into the inner ear when there’s too much wax buildup. This reduces your ability to hear.
- Untidy ears increase your odds of developing an ear infection, which produces inflammation that (when severe enough) impedes your ability to hear. Your hearing will go back to normal after the ear infection clears.
- If you use a hearing aid, earwax accumulation can hinder its function as well. This may make it seem as though your hearing is getting worse.
- Your brain and ability to interpret sound will ultimately be affected by untreated hearing loss.
If you observe earwax accumulation, it’s definitely not advisable that you dig around in there with a cotton swab. In most cases, a cotton swab will worsen the situation or cause additional damage. Over the counter ear drops are a better choice.
Step 2: Avoid Loud Noises
This one is so instinctive it almost shouldn’t be on the list. But knowing how loud is too loud is the real difficulty for most people. Over an extended period of time, for instance, your ears can be damaged by driving on a busy highway. Also, believe it or not, your lawn mower can take a toll on your hearing. Obviously, it’s more than rock concerts or loud speakers that cause hearing damage.
Here are a few ways to avoid damaging noise:
- Using an app on your phone to alert you when volume levels get to harmful thresholds.
- When you’re listening to music or watching videos keep the volume on your headphones at a manageable level. When dangerous volumes are being approached, most phones have a built in warning.
- When you can’t avoid loud environments, use hearing protection. Does your job put you on the floor of a loud manufacturing plant? Going to a rock concert? That’s fun. Just use the necessary hearing protection. A perfect example would be earmuffs and earplugs.
The damage to your hearing from loud sounds will build up gradually. So, even if your hearing “feels” fine after a noisy event, that doesn’t mean it is. You can only get a clean bill of health for your ears by a hearing specialist.
Step #3: If You Have Any Hearing Impairment – Get it Treated
Hearing impairment accumulates most of the time. So catching any damage early on will help prevent additional injury. That’s why getting treated is incredibly important in terms of decreasing hearing loss. Your hearing will get the greatest benefit if you seek out and follow through on effective treatment.
Here’s how treatments work:
- Hearing aids stop the brain strain and social solitude that exacerbate hearing loss-related health issues.
- Hearing aids can stop some, but not all, damage. Hearing aids will, for instance, let you listen to the TV or music at a lower volume, preventing damage. Because hearing aids counter this damage, they can also prevent further decline of your hearing.
- We can give individualized instructions and advice to help you prevent added damage to your hearing.
You Will be Benefited in The Long Run by Limiting Hearing Loss
Even though it’s true that hearing loss can’t be cured, getting treatment for your hearing loss will help prevent further damage. One of the main ways to do that, in many situations, is hearing aids. Getting the proper treatment will not only stop further damage but also keep your current hearing level intact.
When you use hearing protection, practice good hygiene, and pursue hearing loss treatment, you’re taking the proper measures to limit hearing loss while also giving yourself the best opportunity for healthy hearing in the future.