Isn’t pizza interesting? As long as a few factors are met, you can switch toppings, cheese, and sauce, and it’s still a pizza. That’s a lot like hearing loss. Symptoms and manifestations are caused by many different problems, loud noises, genetic factors, age, or ear obstructions, but as long as you have a hard time detecting sounds, it’s still hearing loss.
Limiting the damage is the first step you should take when confronted with hearing loss of any variety. There are, after all, some basic measures you can take to safeguard your ears and minimize additional hearing loss.
Tip 1: Keep your ears clean
When you were a kid, you most likely learned that you need to wash behind your ears. But it’s your inner ears that we’re worried about here, regarding hearing health, not the back of your ears.
There are a number of ways that earwax accumulation can impact your hearing:
- Unkempt ears raise your chances of developing an ear infection, which causes inflammation that when severe enough, disrupts your ability to hear. Your hearing will normally go back to normal after the infection clears.
- When wax buildup becomes significant, it can stop soundwaves from reaching your inner ear. Consequently, your ability to hear becomes decreased.
- Earwax accumulation also impedes the functionality of your hearing aid if you use one. This may give you the impression that your hearing is going.
If you observe earwax buildup, it’s definitely not recommended that you poke around in there with a cotton swab. In most circumstances, a cotton swab will worsen the problem or cause added damage. As an alternative, use over-the-counter ear drops.
Tip 2: Very loud sounds should be avoided
This one is so intuitive it practically shouldn’t be on this list. But what exactly constitutes a “loud sound”? A freeway, for example, can be loud enough that over a long time period, it can damage your ears. The engine on your lawnmower can be very taxing on your ears, as well. Clearly, other things besides rock concerts or blaring speakers can damage your ears.
Some practical ways to avoid harmful noises include:
- Using ear protection when noisy environments are necessary. Do you work on the floor of a noisy factory? Do you really want to attend that rock concert? That’s awesome. But you need to use the correct hearing protection. Modern earmuffs and earplugs supply adequate protection.
- Using an app on your phone to let you know when volumes reach unsafe thresholds.
- When you’re listening to tunes or viewing videos, keep the volume of your headphones at safe levels. The majority of phones include built-in warnings when you’re nearing a damaging threshold.
There’s a slow progression to hearing loss that’s a result of loud sound. So don’t simply assume that your hearing is fine after a noisy event, even if it feels fine. Only if you come in and see us can we give your ears a clean bill of health.
Tip 3: If you have any hearing loss, get it treated
In most cases, hearing loss develops slowly over a long period of time. So, the sooner you recognize the damage, the better you’ll be able to stop additional damage. That’s why treatment is extremely important in terms of limiting hearing loss. Practical treatments (on which you follow through) will leave your hearing in the best possible condition.
Treatment works like this:
- Hearing loss-related health problems that are worsened by social isolation and brain strain can be prevented by wearing hearing aids.
- We will help you avoid further damage to your ears by providing you with personalized instructions when you come in for an assessment.
- Some, but not all damage can be stopped by using hearing aids. For instance, hearing aids will stop you from turning the volume of your television up so loud it becomes harmful. Because hearing aids counter this damage, they can also stop further impairment of your hearing.
In the long run, you will be benefited by wearing hearing aids
Even though we’re not able to cure hearing loss, we are putting in hard work to help you limit additional damage. Treatment of hearing loss is typically one of the primary approaches to that. The appropriate treatment will help you protect your current level of hearing and stop it from getting worse.
You’re taking the correct steps to limit hearing loss and put yourself in the best situation to continue to have healthy hearing if you practice good hygiene, use ear protection, and come see us for regular hearing tests.
