Hearing loss comes from several factors that can be irreversible. Sudden noises damaging hair cells, infections damaging the ear or even just good old fashioned time and age. But not all hearing loss is due to permanent reasons, and there are several ways to help prevent it:
Deterring Triggers
In most cases, the best offence is defence. A primary culprit of hearing loss is loud noise damaging the hair cells in your ears. Sudden noises are often by surprise and unavoidable; that is why ongoing noisy environments should be managed. These can be working in factories, near machinery, or regularly being out in nightclubs and concerts. Over time, high decibels can impact your hearing, so you should take care to protect your ears. If you can’t stay away from the noise, one option is custom earplugs to help protect yourself.
Diet Changes
As with virtually every aspect of your life, diet plays an integral role in keeping healthy. Hearing is no different. That’s not to say that you’ll lose your hearing with a slice of bacon or too many burgers! More nutritious food helps your organs function, and that includes your ears. Keeping a diet rich in minerals, vitamins and antioxidants help maintain internal balance and keep hearing fluid.
Holistic Healing
It is well known that acupuncture can be a miracle worker on a multitude of problems. While not a cure, it can also help manage tinnitus. This comes hand in hand with mindfulness and mental wellbeing. Meditation, yoga and breathing exercises can help with calming your mind and thus limiting that ringing noise.
Regular Cleaning
No, we are not advocating you use cotton buds in your ear. It’s a fact of life that humans produce earwax in varying degrees which can become an inconvenience. Too much wax can block your hearing, make your ears feel clogged and can cause migraines. That’s why before we even look at fitting hearing aids, we check for wax, just in case. So it’s worth getting your ears cleaned out professionally whenever you feel there may be a wax buildup. Most GP’s offer this by syringe (with water); at Falls of Sound, we use suction.
Medication
Some medication is known to cause hearing loss as a side effect, so check new prescriptions. However, a hearing loss may be due to an ear infection or other complication in some cases. In this instance, antibiotics may provide the relief necessary and will be prescribed by your GP. Furthermore, some medications can be prescribed to increase blood circulation to the ears and assist with hearing.
Surgery
In some cases, a hearing loss may be caused by an abnormality that can be fixed. If this is the case, then your medical professional may recommend looking at surgery. It is essential to understand that most hearing losses cannot be fixed this way of course. A series of tests and X-rays may be used to demonstrate whether this solution would work for you.
Of course, if you feel like you may have a hearing loss or tinnitus, just contact Falls of Sound. Our friendly staff will be happy to assist in clearing the loss or, if necessary, looking at hearing aids.