Chances are you’ve already noticed that you don’t hear as well as you used to. Normally, 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 avoided. 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 individuals who have above-average blood pressure are 52% more likely to develop hearing loss, not to mention other health concerns.
Avoid damage to your hearing by taking actions to lower your blood pressure. Consult a doctor as soon as possible and never dismiss your high blood pressure. Following your doctor’s advice, managing stress, eating a healthy diet, and getting regular exercise are all parts of blood pressure management.
2. Quit Smoking
Here’s another reason to quit: Hearing loss is 15% more likely to impact smokers. Even more alarming: People who are frequently exposed to second-hand smoke are 28% more likely to develop hearing problems. The hazardous repercussions of second-hand smoke are not only harmful, they also hang in the air for long periods.
If you smoke, protect your hearing and think about quitting. Take steps to decrease your exposure to second-hand smoke if you hang out with a smoker.
3. Keep Your Diabetes Under Control
One out of four adults is either pre-diabetic or diabetic. A pre-diabetic person is very likely to get diabetes within 5 years unless they make serious lifestyle changes.
Blood vessels that are damaged 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 required to properly control it. Safeguard your hearing by making lifestyle changes if you are at risk of type 2 diabetes.
4. Lose Some Weight
This isn’t about body image or feeling great about yourself. It’s about your health. As your Body Mass Index (BMI) rises, so does your possibility of hearing loss and other health disorders. The risk of developing hearing loss rises by 17% for a slightly obese woman with a BMI of 30 to 34. For a person with a BMI of 40 (moderate obesity), the risk increases to 25%.
Take steps 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 each day.
5. OTC Medications Shouldn’t be Overused
Certain over-the-counter (OTC) medicines can cause hearing loss. The risk increases when these medicines are taken regularly over prolonged periods of time.
Common over-the-counter medicines that impact hearing include aspirin, NSAIDs (such as naproxen, ibuprofen), and acetaminophen. Use these medications in moderation and only with your doctor’s guidance if you need to take them more regularly.
If you’re taking the suggested dose for the occasional headache, studies indicate you’ll most likely be fine. The risk of hearing loss increases up to 40% for men, however, when these medicines are used on a daily basis.
Always follow your doctor’s recommendations. Your doctor may be able to suggest some lifestyle changes that will reduce your dependence on these medications if you are taking them every day.
6. Eat More Broccoli
Broccoli is loaded with iron in addition to essential nutrients such as vitamins C and K. Iron is essential to a healthy heart and strong blood circulation. Oxygen and nutrients are transported to your cells which helps keep them healthy and nourished and iron is a significant part of this process.
If you’re a vegetarian or don’t eat much meat, it’s important that you consume enough plant-based iron. 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 found participants with anemia (extreme iron deficiency) were two times as likely to experience sensorineural hearing loss as those without the disorder. Sensorineural hearing loss is the scientific term for permanent hearing loss related to aging.
Sound is received and transmitted to the brain by tiny little hairs in the inner ear which resonate with the frequency and volume of that sound. If these hair cells die as a result of poor circulation or other complications arising from iron deficiency, they never grow back.
You’re never too young to get your hearing checked, so don’t wait until it’s too late. Apply these steps to your life and prevent hearing loss.