Our hearing is a crucial aspect of our health. Yet so many of us forget to give it the attention that other aspects of our health get. The good news is you can discover all the right ways of taking care of your hearing below. Read on to find out what they are.
Be Mindful of the Noise Level Around You
First of all, if you want to take care of your hearing and protect it as you age, then you will need to become mindful of the noise level around you. What this means is that you need to recognise when you are in noisy environments and take action to protect your hearing when you are.
For example, if you are at work, and you use machinery that generates over 85 decibels, you’ll want to wear earplugs. This is because any extended exposure to noise at this level and above can result in long-term hearing loss.
It’s not just noisy work environments like factories or construction sites where loud sounds can be a problem either. Music concerts can often have similar decibel levels so it’s a good idea to wear earplugs or defenders then. Also, headphones can be problematic and you must make sure that you are listening at 60 percent or less of the volume of your device, or preferably less. You should also listen via headphones for only an hour maximum, and then give your ears a rest.
Get Regular Hearing Assessments
Taking care of your hearing also means getting regular hearing assessments. After all, you probably already go to your doctor, dentist, and optician regularly, so why would you ignore your audiologist?
Regular hearing tests are simple and quick and can help to identify any hearing loss early, and so minimize any deterioration.
Get and Use Your Hearing Aid if You Need One
Many people already know they have some hearing loss, but try and manage without their hearing aids. Unfortunately, this is a very bad idea, as it can not only reduce their ability to hear and so engage in life but also put the ears under even more strain. Studies have even shown that not wearing a hearing aid when it’s needed can contribute to cognitive decline in conditions like dementia.
The sad thing is that if those people took the time to explore more advanced features that their hearing aids have, they could discover just how useful they could be. For example, many hearing aids connect to Bluetooth allowing improved hearing when consuming media, and when on the phone.
Clear Your Ears Properly
Last of all, one of the most important things you can do for your hearing is to learn to clean your ears properly. What this means is not poking around in the ear canal at all, even with a cue tip. Instead, you could use a damp clean cloth to wipe around the ear lobe and leave any wax removal to the professionals.
The reason for this is that the ear is a very delicate organ and can be damaged very easily by foreign bodies. That is why it’s best to avoid inserting anything into the ear canal at all if you want to keep your ears and hearing as healthy as possible.
