Hearing is one of our most vital senses, connecting us to the world around us. From the sound of a loved one’s voice to the music that moves us, hearing enriches our lives in countless ways. However, maintaining healthy hearing requires proactive care, and it all starts at home.
The Hearing Health Foundation recommends teaching your kids about safe listening, promoting healthy hearing habits, and helping them visualize what hearing loss looks like. Here, we’ll show you a few more practical steps to help you and your family preserve and protect your hearing health.
5 Simple Ways to Promote Healthy Hearing at Home
1. Limit Exposure to Loud Noises
Noise-induced hearing loss is a common side effect of repeated exposure to loud noises. What many people don’t realize, however, is exactly WHAT constitutes loud noise. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, ‘too loud’ describes sounds at or above 85 decibels. Prolonged or repeated exposure to sounds at this level can cause hearing loss.
What does ‘too loud’ look like in real life? Here are some common sounds and their associated decibel levels:
- Lawn mower: 80 – 100 decibels
- Sporting event: 90 – 110 decibels
- Gas-powered leaf blower: 105 decibels
- Rock concert: 120 decibels
- Gunshot: 140 decibels
If exposure to loud noises such as these is unavoidable, wearing appropriate hearing protection can limit their impact on your hearing health.
2. Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle
What you eat on a daily basis can significantly affect how well you hear. According to a 2018 study partially funded by the National Institutes of Health, healthy diets were linked to a lower risk of moderate to severe hearing loss in women. Nutrients such as Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins C and E, and folate, among others, have been shown to have a positive impact on hearing health.
What you DO on a daily basis can also promote healthy hearing. For example, regular exercise such as running or walking can enhance blood flow, including blood flow to the ears. Improved circulation in turn helps keep your auditory system healthy.
3. Practice Good Ear Hygiene
Keeping your ears clean and debris-free is a great way to protect your hearing. But that doesn’t mean using Q-tips to clean your ears! Most people can simply let a little water into their ears while showering to help excess earwax and other debris move out of their ears on its own. If you’re a prolific earwax producer and experience frequent buildups, however, professional earwax removal by your local audiologist is highly recommended.
4. Schedule Regular Hearing Checkups
The easiest way to maintain healthy hearing is to quickly identify hearing changes as soon as they occur. And the easiest way to do that is with routine hearing testing. The sooner hearing loss is identified, the sooner it can be treated and the better the outcome will likely be.
Adults should schedule a hearing test every few years, or more frequently if changes are noted. Children should have their hearing checked regularly throughout their school years to ensure any hearing changes don’t have a negative impact on their development or learning experience.
5. Create a Hearing-Friendly Home Environment
Minimizing background noise and creating ‘quiet zones’ at home can make it easier to hear and eliminate the need to turn up the volume on speakers, TVs, and other electronic devices. Promote a family culture that limits loud noises and respects everyone’s hearing health. This way, everyone wins!
Promote Healthy Hearing and Effectively Manage Hearing Loss with the Mesa and Scottsdale Hearing Experts
The bottom line is that healthy hearing starts at home with simple, everyday practices that protect and preserve your auditory health. By being mindful of noise levels, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, practicing good ear hygiene, scheduling regular checkups, and creating a hearing-friendly environment, you can ensure that you and your family enjoy the sounds of life for years to come.
If you live in or near Mesa or Scottsdale, AZ, schedule your routine hearing tests with the audiologists here at Advanced Hearing Group. Whether you want to maintain healthy hearing or effectively manage the hearing loss you already have, we’re here to help. We provide personalized hearing healthcare based on your unique hearing needs, and we’re committed to helping you hear well so you can live well.
Schedule an appointment with us today and take the first step toward prioritizing your hearing health!
Learn more about healthy hearing habits from the Hearing Health Foundation here.
