You’ve probably already recognized that your hearing is waning. In most cases, we don’t even recognize that our decisions are negatively affecting our hearing.
Many kinds of hearing impairment are preventable with several basic lifestyle changes. What follows are 6 tips that will help you preserve your hearing.
1. Regulate Your Blood Pressure
It’s not good if your blood pressure stays high. A study revealed that hearing loss was 52% more likely with people who have higher than average blood pressure and they are more likely to have other health issues as well.
Take steps to lower your blood pressure and prevent hearing damage. See a doctor as soon as possible and never ignore your high blood pressure. Following your doctor’s orders, managing stress, eating a healthy diet, and getting regular exercise are all parts of blood pressure management.
2. Stop Smoking
There are plenty of good reasons to quit smoking, here’s yet another: People who smoke are 15% more likely to suffer from hearing loss. Even more shocking: People who are regularly subjected to second-hand smoke are 28% more likely to develop hearing problems. Even if you go away from the room, smoke remains for long periods of time with unhealthy repercussions.
Consider protecting your hearing, if you smoke, by quitting. Take steps to decrease your exposure to second-hand smoke if you hang out with a smoker.
3. Keep Your Diabetes in Check
Diabetes or pre-diabetes impacts one in four adults. A pre-diabetic person is very likely to get diabetes within 5 years if they don’t make serious lifestyle changes.
High blood sugar damages blood vessels, which makes it very hard for them to effectively transport 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, protect your hearing by taking the proper steps to control it. If you are at risk of getting type 2 diabetes, safeguard your hearing by making lifestyle changes to prevent it.
4. Lose Some Weight
This is more about your health than feeling great about how you look. As your Body Mass Index (BMI) goes up, so does your possibility of hearing loss and other health disorders. A mildly obese woman (with a 30 to 34 BMI) has a 17% higher risk of getting hearing loss. For an individual with a BMI of 40 (moderate obesity), the risk goes up to 25%.
Work to get rid of some of that excess weight. Your life can be prolonged and your hearing can be protected by something as basic as walking for 30 minutes each day.
5. Don’t Overuse OTC Medications
Some over-the-counter (OTC) drugs can lead to hearing impairment. The risk increases when these medications are taken regularly over prolonged periods of time.
Common over-the-counter medications that impact hearing include aspirin, NSAIDs (such as naproxen, ibuprofen), and acetaminophen. Take these medicines sparingly and consult your doctor if you’re using them on a regular basis.
Studies demonstrate that you’ll most likely be okay if you’re taking these medications periodically in the recommended doses. The risk of hearing loss goes up to 40% for men, however, when these drugs are taken on a daily basis.
Your doctor’s advice should always be implemented. But if you’re taking these medicines each day to manage chronic pain or thin your blood, speak with your doctor about lifestyle changes you can make to decrease your dependence on OTC drugs.
6. Eat More Broccoli
Broccoli is packed with nutrients and vitamins like C and K and also is high in iron. Iron is vital to blood circulation and a healthy heart. Oxygen and nutrients are transported to your cells which helps keep them healthy and nourished and iron is an important part of this process.
For vegetarians or people who don’t eat much meat, eating a sufficient amount of plant-based iron is essential. The iron found in plants is not as bioavailable as the iron in meat so people in this group are more likely to be deficient in iron.
More than 300,000 individuals were examined by Pennsylvania State University. The researchers determined participants with anemia (severe iron deficiency) were twice as likely to experience sensorineural hearing loss as those without the condition. Age-related irreversible hearing loss is what the technical term “sensorineural hearing loss” refers to.
Sound is picked up and sent to the brain by fragile little hairs in the inner ear which vibrate with the frequency and volume of that sound. If these hair cells die as a result of poor circulation or other concerns related to iron deficiency, they never grow back.
You’re never too young to have your hearing examined, so don’t wait until it gets worse. Implement these steps into your life and prevent hearing loss.