Keeping Your Ears Healthy: Ways to Protect Your Hearing
Protecting your ears is very important. Once your hearing is damaged, there is nothing you can do to reverse it.
The ability to hear is one of the most important senses for humans. Hearing allows you to connect to the world and the people around you. Without the ability to hear, it won’t be easy to communicate with others. Hearing enables you to communicate in a way that no other senses can. Therefore, it is important to prioritize your hearing health.
Most people neglect their ears. However, your ears are critical. There are a lot of factors that could negatively affect your ears. To avoid these factors, you must learn how you can effectively take care of your ears. Some of the most important functions of hearing include communicating with others, experiencing the sounds around you, and enhancing personal safety.
Click here to read a complete guide to hearing loss and continue reading below to understand some of the ways that you can protect your ears.
Ear Plugs And Avoiding Loud Noises
At least 15% of all Americans have developed noise-induced hearing loss because of leisure environments or loud work. Attending concerts or frequenting clubs can contribute to hearing loss. If you operate lawnmowers, chainsaws, and other noisy things or appliances that force you to shout just so you can be heard, then you are exposing yourself to the risk of damaging your ears.
To protect your ears from dangerous levels of sound and noise, you can purchase earplugs. Earplugs are easy to obtain and convenient. You can even purchase earplugs that are custom-fitted for your ears. You can ask your local hearing healthcare provider to make these earplugs for you. By purchasing earplugs, you are taking a concrete step towards protecting your ears.
Turning The Volume Down Helps
At least 1.1 billion young adults and teenagers face the risk for noise-induced hearing loss because of the unsafe use of audio devices. If you love enjoying music through earphones or earbuds, you can protect your hearing by following the 60/60 rule. This rule suggests that you should not listen to sounds or audio with headphones or earbuds with more than 60% volume. You must also limit listening to sounds or audio using your headphones no more than 60 minutes a day.
Earbuds can be very dangerous to your ears because they fit directly next to your eardrum. Over-the-ear headphones are a better alternative to earbuds. Besides listening to music or sounds using headphones or earbuds, you must also remember to avoid exposing your ears to deafening sounds or noises that could come from speakers. Avoiding loud social events is one way to protect your hearing.
Your Ears Need To Recover, Too
Giving your ears time to recover is essential. If you have been exposed to loud noises for a long time, such as in a bar or at a concert, you need to set aside time to help your ears recover from all the noise. To give your ears enough time to rest from loud noises, you can step outside for five minutes at regular intervals so that you can prevent noise-induced hearing loss.
Cotton Swabs Are Not Good For Your Ears
Most people use cotton swabs to clean their ears. However, cotton swabs are not good for your ears, after all! Using cotton swabs to clean your ear canal is not an advisable practice. Having a bit of wax in your ear is normal, and it is also recommended by hearing healthcare providers. The wax in your ears stops dust and other harmful particles from damaging your inner ear. Inserting anything inside your ear canals puts sensitive organs in your ears at risk of damage.
If you are not comfortable with the excess wax in your ears, you can clean around the canal using a damp towel. However, you must do this gently. You can also use a solution that will soften the wax and allow it to flow out on its own. You can also pay for ear microsuction servicesto keep your ears clean and healthy.
Your Ears Should Be Dry
Excess moisture inside your ears can allow bacteria to enter the ear canal. If this happens, the bacteria will end up attacking your ear canal. As a result, you might end up developing ear infections, which can damage your hearing ability. Therefore, you must always keep your ears dry. Gently dry your ears after you take a bath or go for a swim. In case you feel that there is water inside your ears, you should tilt your head to the side and tug your ear lobes to help the water flow out.
Keeping your ears healthy is important because it enhances communication, allows you to enjoy your environment, and keeps you safe. Therefore, you must make an effort to keep your ears healthy. Avoiding loud noises is the best way to protect yourself from losing your hearing. Prioritizing your healing health is easy enough once you commit to paying closer attention to your ears.