In our noisy world, it’s easier than ever to suffer hearing damage. These five tips will help you avoid the increasingly common problem of hearing loss.
1. Avoid excessive noise exposure. Whether you listen to an iPod or use a motorized garden tool, you need to be aware that excessive noise can permanently damage your hearing. Wearing hearing protection when necessary and turning down the volume on your MP3 player are key steps in preventing hearing loss.
2. Don’t smoke. Did you know smoking as well as second-hand smoke can contribute to hearing loss? Recent studies suggest that chronic nicotine exposure impairs the brain’s ability to hear and interpret sound. Not smoking is a healthy way to reduce your chances of hearing loss.
3. Prevent diabetes. Those who suffer from diabetes are twice as likely to have hearing loss. Eating healthy, maintaining a proper weight, and daily exercise can help you avoid getting Type 2 diabetes and help protect your hearing.
4. Watch medications. Many drugs can cause permanent or temporary hearing loss. Talk to your doctor if you think any medications you take are contributing to hearing problems.
5. See an audiologist. An audiologist is a licensed health care provider who can spot hearing loss in its early stages. Request a hearing test from an audiologist if you notice any signs of hearing loss.
5 Responses
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I’m worried about my hearing, I haven’t been very careful with it. I had no idea that smoking affected your hearing, that’s a side effect that you don’t hear about. That’s probably why half my family can’t hear very well. Going to an audiologist is probably a good idea!
After seeing my dad lose his hearing so early on, I want to do everything I can to prevent from happening to me. I had no idea that medications could cause temporary, or even permanent hearing loss. That is so crazy! It’s interesting that smoking can also have an effect on your hearing.
These are all really great tips to help prevent hearing loss. My family has a history of hearing problems, so it would be really great if I could work on these things for myself. Then I can try to make sure that my hearing doesn’t get worse. If it does though, I think it would probably be a good idea for me to talk to a doctor to get some help figuring out how to improve my hearing. Thanks for the great suggestions!
It is interesting to me that all of these things affect hearing. I have family history of hearing loss, so I would like to try as much as I can to prevent hearing loss. It would be really great if I could get a hearing test and go see an audiologist. Since I don’t have too many problems with these other factors, then I think that I should just keep up to date with getting my hearing checked. Thanks for the great post!
Well, tip number two is news to me. I had no idea smoking could cause hearing issues. I wonder if that is why my grandfather needed hearing aids by the time he was forty.
