Your hearing health is just as important as looking after your overall health. You don't want to miss out on the beautiful morning bird song or the humming of traffic, even when you have only partially lost your hearing. Your hearing is a part and parcel of everyday life, one that you can support and maintain throughout life. Here are three ways to support your hearing health.
Recognize The Signs
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 470 million children and adults deal with hearing impairment throughout their life. Although it is unpreventable, you can treat it and get the help you need sooner. If you do not understand or recognize the signs, you could experience impaired hearing and live a poor quality of life. Instead, recognizing the signs can be easy and the step you need to get the right help.
The signs involved with hearing impairment include difficulty hearing through the phone, or in person. If you experience difficulty hearing and ask repeatedly for people to repeat themselves, this could be a clear indication that your hearing is impaired.
Another sign to recognize is muffled speech sounds when someone is speaking in front of you. If the sounds become unclear and difficult to decipher, then this is a common indicator that your hearing is declining.
Lastly, if you or your loved ones witness that you turn the volume up much louder than usual on your TV or radio, then this may show that your hearing ability is declining. If you experience any of these signs, then go to seek attention and advice from an audiologist and they can help you improve your hearing with hearing aids.
Avoid Swabbing
The feeling of cleaning your ears with swabs can be a great feeling. However, they can cause life-long damage.
When you clean your ears out, you need to be slow and gentle. Pushing too hard can cause you to push earwax further into your ear, which can cause earwax blockage. Or you may push excessively hard and perforate your eardrum. This can lead to instant pain or slow degradation of your hearing.
If you find that you often swab too hard, then it can help to remove earwax with oils or warm water in the shower. There are ways to avoid using swabs, which you should do if you can.
If you do ever experience pain or loss of hearing due to swabbing, contact an audiologist immediately.
Eat The Right Foods
Surprisingly, many foods can impact your hearing abilities and health. Those that pack certain vitamins and minerals are ideal for improving your hearing and aiding good ear health. For instance:
- Bananas: bananas are packed full of potassium, magnesium, folate, zinc and vitamins A, C and E, which are all ideal for better ear health. Most of which regulate the inner ear fluids, which protect the ear and improve its abilities.
- Ginger: Ginger is a natural anti-inflammatory and antibiotic, which can reduce inflammation and infection in the ear. Ear infections are common and can cause short-term hearing difficulties and pain. In some cases, ear infections can lead to bigger problems. To reduce the risk of long-term hearing difficulties, consuming ginger can improve nerve functioning and combat infection and inflammation.
- Garlic: garlic is a common food consumed to regulate blood flow, which is ideal for better ear health. With a healthy blood flow, your ears can attain a healthy amount of oxygen, which can improve hearing and overall health.
- Ginkgo biloba: the native tree extract has been used for centuries for many health benefits. One being to aid hearing health is common. Ginkgo biloba can reduce the risk tinnitus, a common ear issue that causes ringing sounds in the ears.
Other foods that are good for improving your hearing health include cinnamon, nuts, fruits, grains, omega-3 fatty acids, baked tofu and soybeans.
Looking after your hearing health is essential to combat hearing loss and issues. Although some simple habits, such as ear swabbing, may seem like an okay idea at the time, they can cause life-long issues. Signs might not be immediate, but when they occur, there is no turning back. Thus, it is important to maintain good ear health and practice the above tips to support your hearing ability.
If you would like to hear more about The Hearing Spa, then call us today at 941-366-4848 or 941-755-5535.
