You’ve probably already noticed that your hearing is failing. In most cases, we don’t even realize that our decisions are negatively impacting our hearing.
Many kinds of hearing impairment are preventable with a few basic lifestyle changes. What follows are 6 tips that will help you maintain your hearing.
1. Manage Your Blood Pressure
It’s not good if your blood pressure stays high. A study revealed that people who have higher than-average blood pressure are 52% more likely to develop hearing loss, not to mention other health issues.
Avoid injury to your hearing by taking steps to reduce your blood pressure. Consult a doctor as soon as possible and never disregard your high blood pressure. Following your doctor’s guidance, managing stress, eating a healthy diet, and getting regular exercise are all parts of blood pressure management.
2. Quit 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. What’s even more surprising is that there’s a 28% higher chance of someone developing hearing problems if they are regularly exposed to second-hand smoke. The dangerous consequences of second-hand smoke are not only harmful, they also remain in the air for long periods.
Consider safeguarding your hearing, if you’re a smoker, by quitting. Take actions to minimize your exposure to second-hand smoke if you spend time with a smoker.
3. Keep Your Diabetes Under Control
Diabetes or pre-diabetes affects one in four adults. A pre-diabetic person is extremely likely to develop diabetes within 5 years if they don’t make significant lifestyle changes.
Blood vessels that are injured by high blood sugar don’t effectively 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 correctly control it. Protect 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 good about yourself. It’s about your health. As your Body Mass Index (BMI) goes up, so does your risk of hearing loss and other health disorders. A mildly obese woman (with a 30 to 34 BMI) has a 17% increased chance of developing hearing loss. For someone with a BMI of 40 (moderate obesity), the risk rises to 25%.
Work to get rid of some of that extra weight. Something as simple as walking for 30 minutes each day can reduce your chance of hearing loss and prolong your life.
5. OTC Medications Shouldn’t be Overused
Some over-the-counter (OTC) medicines can result in hearing loss. The risk rises when these medicines are taken regularly over prolonged periods of time.
Typical over-the-counter medications 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 frequently.
If you’re using the recommended dose for the occasional headache, studies indicate you’ll probably be okay. Taking them daily, however, increases the risk of hearing loss by as much as 40% for men.
Your doctor’s guidance should always be followed. Your doctor might be able to recommend some lifestyle changes that will decrease your dependence on these drugs if you are using them every day.
6. Eat More Broccoli
Broccoli is full of nutrients and vitamins like C and K and also has lots of iron. Iron is integral to a healthy heart and proper blood circulation. Iron helps your blood transport nutrients and oxygen to cells to keep them healthy and nourished.
For vegetarians or people who don’t eat much meat, eating a sufficient amount of plant-based iron is essential. You’re more likely to be iron deficient because the iron found in plants is less bioavailable than the iron found in meat.
Pennsylvania State University researchers studied more than 300,000 individuals. People who suffer from anemia (extreme iron deficiency) are two times as likely, according to this research, to experience sensorineural hearing loss than individuals who have normal iron concentrations. Sensorineural hearing loss is the scientific name for irreversible hearing loss associated with aging.
Sound is received and sent to the brain by tiny little hairs in the inner ear which resonate with the volume and frequency of that sound. If these hair cells die due to poor circulation or other concerns arising from iron deficiency, they never grow back.
You’re never too young to have your hearing checked, so don’t wait until it gets worse. Prevent hearing loss by applying these simple secrets in your daily life.
