Chances are you’ve already observed that you don’t hear as well as you once did. Hearing loss typically develops because of decisions you make without realizing they’re affecting your hearing.
Many types of hearing impairment are avoidable with several basic lifestyle changes. What follows are 6 tips that will help you maintain your hearing.
1. Regulate Your Blood Pressure
It’s not good if your blood pressure remains high. A study found that hearing loss was 52% more likely with people who have above average blood pressure and they are more likely to have other health problems as well.
Avoid injury to your hearing by taking steps 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 orders.
2. Stop Smoking
There are plenty of good reasons to quit smoking, here’s yet another: Hearing loss is 15% more likely to impact smokers. What’s even more surprising is that there’s a 28% higher chance of someone experiencing hearing issues if they are frequently subjected to second-hand smoke. Even if you leave the room, smoke remains for long periods of time with hazardous consequences.
Consider protecting your hearing, if you smoke, by quitting. Take measures to decrease your exposure to second-hand smoke if you spend time with a smoker.
3. Manage Your Diabetes
One out of four adults is either pre-diabetic or diabetic. Unless they make some serious lifestyle changes, someone who is pre-diabetic will probably get diabetes within 5 years.
Blood vessels that are damaged by high blood sugar don’t 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, safeguard your hearing by taking the appropriate steps to control 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) rises, so does your possibility of hearing loss and other health problems. The risk of developing hearing loss goes up by 17% for a slightly obese woman with a BMI of 30 to 34. For somebody with a BMI of 40 (moderate obesity), the risk goes up to 25%.
Take steps to lose that excess weight. Something as simple as walking for 30 minutes every day can lower your chance of hearing loss and prolong your life.
5. OTC Drugs Shouldn’t be Overused
Hearing impairment can be the outcome of some over-the-counter (OTC) medications. The more frequently these medications are taken over a prolonged period of time, the higher the risk.
Typical over-the-counter medicines that affect hearing include aspirin, NSAIDs (such as naproxen, ibuprofen), and acetaminophen. Take these drugs in moderation and only with your doctor’s guidance if you need to take them more frequently.
Studies reveal that you’ll most likely be okay if you’re taking these medications occasionally in the suggested doses. Taking them daily, however, raises the chance of hearing loss by as much as 40% for men.
Your doctor’s advice should always be implemented. But if you’re taking these medications each day to control chronic pain or thin your blood, talk to your doctor about lifestyle changes you can make to lessen your dependence on OTC drugs.
6. Eat More Broccoli
Broccoli is packed with nutrients and vitamins such as C and K and also has lots of iron. Iron is integral to a healthy heart and strong blood circulation. Iron helps your blood transport nutrients and oxygen to cells to keep them healthy and nourished.
For vegetarians or individuals who don’t eat meat very often, eating a sufficient amount of plant-based iron is important. 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.
Pennsylvania State University researchers studied more than 300,000 individuals. The researchers determined participants with anemia (extreme iron deficiency) were two times as likely to experience sensorineural hearing loss as those without the condition. Age-related permanent hearing loss is what the technical term “sensorineural hearing loss” refers to.
Sound is received and transmitted to the brain by delicate little hairs in the inner ear which vibrate with the volume and frequency of that sound. If these hair cells die because of poor circulation or other concerns arising from iron deficiency, they won’t grow back.
Don’t wait to get a hearing exam because you’re never too young. Implement these steps into your life and reduce hearing loss.