Chances are you’ve already observed that you don’t hear as well as you once did. Hearing loss often develops because of decisions you make without recognizing they’re affecting your hearing.
Many types of hearing loss are preventable with several simple lifestyle changes. What follows are 6 tips that will help you protect your hearing.
1. Manage Your Blood Pressure
Persistently high blood pressure is not okay. A study found that hearing loss was 52% more likely with people who have above average blood pressure and they’re more likely to have other health problems also.
Reduce damage to your hearing by taking measures to reduce your blood pressure. See a doctor as soon as possible and never ignore your high blood pressure. Management of blood pressure includes correct diet, exercise, stress management, and following your doctor’s orders.
2. Stop Smoking
Here’s one more reason to quit: Smokers are 15% more likely to develop hearing loss. Even more shocking: Individuals who are frequently subjected to second-hand smoke are 28% more likely to develop hearing troubles. The harmful repercussions of second-hand smoke are not only harmful, they also hang in the air for long periods.
If you’re a smoker, protect your hearing and consider quitting. If you hang out with a smoker, take actions to reduce your exposure to second-hand smoke.
3. Keep Your Diabetes Under Control
Diabetes or pre-diabetes impacts one in four adults. A pre-diabetic individual is very likely to get diabetes within 5 years unless they make serious lifestyle changes.
Blood vessels that are injured by high blood sugar don’t efficiently carry nutrients. Compared to someone who doesn’t have diabetes, a diabetic person has more than twice the chance of developing hearing loss.
If you suffer from diabetes, take the steps necessary to correctly manage it. If you are at risk of getting type 2 diabetes, protect your hearing by making lifestyle changes to avoid it.
4. Lose Some Weight
This is more about your health than feeling good about how you look. As your Body Mass Index (BMI) goes up, so does your risk of hearing loss and other health conditions. The risk of getting hearing loss increases by 17% for a slightly obese woman with a BMI of 30 to 34. A moderately obese individual has a 25% chance of hearing loss if they have a BMI of 40.
Take measures to lose that excess weight. Your life can be prolonged and your hearing can be protected by something as simple as walking for 30 minutes every day.
5. OTC Medications Shouldn’t be Overused
Certain over-the-counter (OTC) drugs can result in hearing impairment. The more often these medicines are taken over a long period of time, the higher the risk.
Medications such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin are known to trigger hearing loss. Take these medicines in moderation and only with your doctor’s guidance if you need to take them more frequently.
Studies show that you’ll probably be fine if you’re taking these medications periodically in the recommended doses. The danger of hearing loss goes up to 40% for men, however, when these drugs are used on a daily basis.
Your doctor’s guidance should always be implemented. Your doctor might be able to suggest some lifestyle changes that will reduce your dependence on these medicines if you are using them every day.
6. Eat More Broccoli
Broccoli is packed with iron as well as essential nutrients such as vitamins C and K. Iron is essential to blood circulation and a healthy heart. Iron helps your blood transport nutrients and oxygen to cells to keep them nourished and healthy.
If you’re a vegetarian or don’t eat much meat, it’s important that you consume enough plant-based iron. 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 individuals were examined by Pennsylvania State University. The researchers determined participants with anemia (extreme iron deficiency) were twice as likely to develop sensorineural hearing loss as those without the disorder. Age-related irreversible hearing loss is what the technical term “sensorineural hearing loss” refers to.
Sound is picked up and transmitted to the brain by delicate little hairs in the inner ear which vibrate with the volume and frequency of that sound. If an iron deficiency or poor circulation causes these little hairs to die they will be gone forever.
You’re never too young to get your hearing tested, so don’t wait until it’s too late. Counter hearing loss by using these simple secrets in your day-to-day life.