Generally, when you’re first notice hearing loss (no matter the variety), the first thing you should do is try to control the damage. After all, you can take some simple measures to stop further damage and protect your ears.
Step 1: Clean Your Ears
Remember learning to be certain you clean behind your ears when you learned general hygiene (or at least should have learned). In terms of hearing health, though, we’re not concerned with the space behind your ears, but rather your inner ears.
Keeping your ears clear of wax buildup can help your hearing in several distinctive ways:
- Over time, untreated hearing loss can impact your brain and your ability to decipher sounds.
- Earwax accumulation also interferes with the operation of your hearing aid if you use one. You might end up thinking that your hearing is going downhill because of this.
- Sound can be blocked from reaching the inner ear when there’s too much wax buildup. This diminishes your ability to hear.
- Your hearing can also be interfered with if you get a severe ear infection which can also be a result of dirty ears. Your hearing will return to normal after the ear infection clears.
If you find earwax accumulation, it’s absolutely not advisable that you dig around in there with a cotton swab. Added damage can be done by cotton swabs and they will frequently make it even harder to hear. Over the counter ear drops are a smarter choice.
Step 2: Avoid Loud Noises
This one should almost be left off the list it’s so obvious. But determining how loud is too loud is the real difficulty for most people. Over an extended period of time, for example, your ears can be damaged by driving on a busy freeway. Your lawnmower motor can be fairly taxing on your ears, also. As you can see, it isn’t just blasting speakers or loud rock concerts that damage your ears.
Here are some ways to stay away from damaging noise:
- When you can’t steer clear of noisy settings, use hearing protection. Do you work on a noisy factory floor? Do you really want to attend that rock concert? That’s fun. But be sure to wear the correct protection for your ears. A perfect illustration would be earmuffs and earplugs.
- When decibel levels get too high, an app on your phone can notify you of that.
- When you’re watching videos or listening to music keep the volume on your headphones at a manageable volume. When hazardous volumes are being reached, most phones come with a built in warning.
The damage to your hearing from loud sounds will build up slowly. So if you’ve been to a loud event, you could have done damage even if you don’t notice it. You can only get a clean bill of health for your ears by a hearing specialist.
Step #3: Treat Any Hearing Loss You Might Have
Generally speaking, hearing loss is cumulative. So recognizing any damage early will help prevent added injury. So in terms of stopping hearing loss, treatment is so important. Practical treatments (on which you follow through) will leave your hearing in the best possible shape.
Here’s what you can expect:
- The chance of developing hearing loss related health problems is reduced by wearing hearing aids because they prevent social solitude and brain strain.
- We can provide personalized instructions and advice to help you prevent further damage to your ears.
- Some, but not all damage can be prevented by wearing hearing aids. Hearing aids will, for example, let you listen to music or the TV at a lower volume, avoiding damage. Hearing aids will counter further degeneration of your hearing by stopping this damage.
Limiting Hearing Impairment Will Benefit You in The Long Run
While it’s true that hearing loss can’t be cured, getting treatment for your hearing loss will help prevent further damage. In many cases, hearing aids are one of the principal ways to achieve that. The appropriate treatment will help you preserve your present level of hearing and stop it from getting worse.
When you use hearing protection, practice good hygiene, and pursue hearing loss treatment, you’re taking the appropriate steps to minimize hearing loss while also giving yourself the best chance for healthy hearing in the future.