A guitar thrumming or the bass dropping in your ears as you listen to music through your earbuds may sound really good. But what about your hearing? Loud music and other extreme noise levels can be bad for your hearing. Sadly, many of us take our hearing for granted… until the issues start.
Many factors cause hearing impairment. Being exposed to loud noises is a primary cause. But other things can also be harmful. If you care about your hearing, you must avoid these factors that put your ear health at risk.
Thankfully, there are ways to keep your hearing healthy. We’re not asking you to quit your hobbies or stop enjoying music entirely. But take precautions and follow our tips to preserve your hearing health.
Why You May Have Hearing Problems
As mentioned, hearing loss can happen for different reasons. Understanding the causes can help you determine which steps to take to protect your hearing.
Some common factors contributing to hearing loss are:
- Loud noises: This is the primary cause of hearing loss. Any sound higher than 85 decibels is potentially harmful. Frequently attending rock concerts or staying in loud environments poses a risk. Listening to anything with your headphones too loudly can also be damaging.
- Trauma or injury: Severe head injuries may cause immediate hearing problems. But the outburst of a sudden, loud noise near your head may also cause them. Any trauma to the ear or head can damage your ear’s delicate structures, including the eardrum or the middle ear’s bones.
- Medical conditions: Your health issues can also contribute to hearing loss. High blood pressure, for example, can affect the blood vessels in your ear and reduce circulation, leading to hearing problems. Diabetes or heart disease can also result in hearing loss.
- Medicines or chemicals: Pain relief medicine can even affect your hearing. Other medicines can also impact your ear health, such as certain antibiotics and diuretics. If you’re frequently exposed to solvents, pesticides, and heavy metals, safeguarding your ears becomes even more crucial.
Some other factors occur naturally. A condition called age-related hearing loss or genetically inherited hearing loss may also cause issues.
If you know what conditions you often find yourself in, you may start taking preventive measures early. Sometimes, these situations are unavoidable, but you can limit the damage.
Prevention Techniques for Preserving Your Hearing
A healthy sense of hearing is vital to enjoying a high quality of life. Otherwise, you won’t be able to enjoy pleasant conversations and other good things comfortably. Your awareness will also lessen with hearing loss. Here’s how you can preserve your hearing.
Tip 1: Limit Your Audio Volume
Listening to music at a low volume doesn’t seem fun. But listening to loud sounds for hours without taking a break can really put you at risk of hearing loss.
When you listen to music, keep the volume reasonable. This applies whether you listen to music regularly or use earphones or headphones. Try not to listen at the highest volume, especially for extended periods. In fact, taking breaks to give your ears time to rest may be wise.
Avoiding loud noises by finding the source and moving away from it is another action you can take. Going to a party with loud music? Stand away from the speakers. Attending an event with large crowds and high noise levels? Pick a relatively quiet place to sit. Being mindful of high volumes will help protect your ears.
Tip 2: Wear Ear Protection
Wear ear protection if you have no choice but to be somewhere noisy. It will cushion your ears against loud sounds. But, like all good hearing aids, not all ear protection devices are created equal. So, browse around for options and choose appropriately.
Noise-cancelling headphones with a good seal can help reduce unwanted noise. A good pair will indicate its noise reduction rating. The ones with higher ratings provide more protection. However, remember to keep the volume of whatever you’re hearing at a safe level.
Earplugs are another option. You can get ones made from foam or silicone. What’s important is that they must fit snugly into your ear canals to reduce the amount of sound reaching your eardrums. If you work somewhere noisy or enjoy shooting as an activity, earplugs will be useful.
Tip 3: Avoid Using Cotton Swabs
Using cotton swabs in the ear canal can potentially damage its delicate structures. Your ear canal has a thin protective layer of wax. It traps debris and bacteria, keeping your ears clean and healthy. If you insert a cotton swab, you risk pushing the wax deeper or puncturing the eardrum.
Furthermore, “cleaning” the wax out of your ears with a swab can disturb the natural wax production in your ears. They may produce more wax. Excess wax that builds up over time can cause discomfort and temporary hearing loss.
For earwax removal, allow your ears to clean themselves naturally. The wax will move outward on its own. Then, gently use a washcloth or tissue to wipe the outer part of your ear. If you have excessive earwax buildup, consult a healthcare professional. Getting your ears professionally cleaned is a much safer option.
Tip 4: Have Regular Hearing Exams
When discussing health tests, the focus is often on blood pressure, weight maintenance, or cholesterol. But our ears are equally important. Consider having regular hearing exams to catch any issues early on.
You can find out your baseline hearing level through an auditory exam. Or take a hearing quiz for starters. This allows you to monitor subsequent changes, as hearing loss usually happens over time. Your doctor will help you detect any signs of decline in your hearing. If your ear health is affected, you’ll know and can get appropriate treatment.
Tip 5: Maintain Your Health
Maintaining healthy habits is also beneficial for your hearing. Because numerous medical conditions affect hearing, it’s better to manage these conditions. Taking control of your blood pressure and blood sugar levels, for example, is an early prevention method to help avoid hearing loss.
The same goes for your stress levels. High levels of stress can also affect your hearing. If you have a stressful job or often find yourself in tense situations, you should try relaxation techniques. Meditation or exercise is recommended, along with good-quality sleep. You’ll have fewer health problems and help preserve your hearing.
Hearing Health and Lifestyle Tips
If you want ideas on how you can preserve your hearing for the long term, identify the causes first. After identifying the reason, you can take steps to prevent it from happening. Classic advice includes lowering the volume of whatever you’re hearing. Another common suggestion is wearing ear protection and letting your ears clean themselves naturally.
But taking care of your overall health may be even more beneficial for your hearing health. Consulting an audiologist and having regular ear exams may lessen the risk of hearing loss. Get in touch with our hearing experts to consult about hearing care and advice.