You’ve probably already noticed that your hearing is waning. In most cases, we don’t even recognize that our decisions are negatively affecting our hearing.
With a few basic lifestyle changes, many kinds of hearing loss can be prevented. What follows are 6 tips that will help you preserve your hearing.
1. Manage Your Blood Pressure
It’s not okay if your blood pressure remains high. A study determined that individuals who have above-average blood pressure are 52% more likely to have hearing loss, not to mention other health concerns.
Avoid damage to your hearing by taking actions to reduce your blood pressure. Don’t neglect high blood pressure or wait to see a doctor. Blood pressure management includes correct diet, exercise, stress management, and following your doctor’s advice.
2. Stop Smoking
Here’s one more reason to quit: Hearing loss is 15% more likely to affect smokers. Even more alarming: People who are regularly exposed to second-hand smoke are 28% more likely to develop hearing problems. The harmful repercussions of second-hand smoke are not only harmful, they also remain in the air for long periods.
Think about protecting your hearing, if you’re a smoker, by quitting. Take measures to reduce your exposure to second-hand smoke if you hang out around a smoker.
3. Keep Your Diabetes in Check
One in four adults is either pre-diabetic or diabetic. Unless they make some significant lifestyle changes, somebody who is pre-diabetic will probably develop diabetes within 5 years.
High blood sugar harms blood vessels, which makes it extremely difficult for them to effectively carry nutrients. A diabetic person is more than two times as likely to experience hearing loss compared to a non-diabetic individual.
If you suffer from diabetes, safeguard your hearing by taking the proper steps to manage it. Protect your hearing by making lifestyle changes if you are at risk of type 2 diabetes.
4. Lose Some Weight
This is more about your health than feeling good about how you look. Hearing loss and other health problems rise as your Body Mass Index (BMI) rises. A mildly obese woman (with a 30 to 34 BMI) has a 17% higher risk of getting hearing loss. For a person with a BMI of 40 (moderate obesity), the risk rises to 25%.
Take actions to shed that extra weight. Something as simple as walking for 30 minutes each day can decrease your risk of hearing loss and prolong your life.
5. OTC Medicines Shouldn’t be Overused
Some over-the-counter (OTC) medications can result in hearing loss. The more frequently these medications are used over a long period of time, the higher the risk.
Typical over-the-counter medications that affect hearing include aspirin, NSAIDs (like naproxen, ibuprofen), and acetaminophen. Take these medications sparingly and seek advice from your doctor if you’re using them on a regular basis.
If you’re using the suggested dose for the periodic headache, studies suggest you’ll most likely be okay. The risk of hearing loss goes up to 40% for men, however, when these medications are taken on a day-to-day basis.
Always follow your doctor’s recommendations. But if you’re using these drugs each day to deal with chronic pain or thin your blood, speak with your doctor about lifestyle changes you can implement to decrease your dependence on OTC drugs.
6. Eat More Broccoli
Broccoli is packed with iron along with essential nutrients such as vitamins C and K. Iron is essential to blood circulation and a healthy heart. Nutrients and oxygen are carried to your cells which helps keep them healthy and nourished and iron is a major part of this process.
For vegetarians or people who don’t eat meat very often, eating a sufficient amount of plant-based iron is important. You’re more likely to be iron deficient because the iron found in plants is less bioavailable than the iron found in meat.
More than 300,000 people were studied by Pennsylvania State University. People who have anemia (extreme iron deficiency) are twice as likely, according to this research, to experience sensorineural hearing loss than individuals who have typical iron concentrations. Age-related permanent hearing loss is what the technical term “sensorineural hearing loss” refers to.
Sound is received and transmitted to the brain by tiny little hairs in the inner ear which vibrate with the frequency and volume of that sound. If poor circulation or an iron deficiency causes these little hairs to die they will never grow back.
Don’t wait to get a hearing test because you’re never too young. Apply these steps to your life and reduce hearing loss.