Woman with hearing loss touching her ear and thinking about preventing further loss.

The first thing to do, when you begin to recognize that you have hearing loss, is to avoid added damage. After all, you can take some basic measures to stop additional damage and safeguard your ears.

Step 1: Keep Your Ears Clean

Remember learning to be certain you clean behind your ears when you learned general hygiene (or at least should have learned). But it’s actually the inner ear we’re concerned with cleaning in terms of hearing health, rather than behind the ears.

Keeping your ears free from wax accumulation can help your hearing in many different ways:

  • When wax accumulation becomes significant, it can prevent sound from getting into your inner ear. This reduces your ability to hear.
  • Your ability to hear can also be interfered with if you get a severe ear infection which can also be a result of unclean ears. When your ear infection clears, your normal hearing will normally come back.
  • If you use a hearing aid, earwax accumulation can hinder its function also. This could make it seem as if your hearing is getting worse.
  • Your brain and ability to decipher sound will ultimately be impacted by untreated hearing loss.

If you notice earwax accumulation, it’s definitely not advisable that you dig around in there with a cotton swab. Further damage can be caused by cotton swabs and they will frequently make it even harder to hear. Instead, use over-the-counter ear drops.

Step 2: Avoid Loud Noises

This one should almost be left off the list it’s so intuitive. The problem is that most people are hard-pressed to define what a “loud noise” actually is. Over an extended time period, for instance, your ears can be damaged by driving on a busy freeway. Also, surprisingly, your lawn mower can take a toll on your hearing. Obviously, it’s more than rock concerts or high volume speakers that cause hearing damage.

Some useful ways to escape damaging noises include:

  • When you can’t avoid loud settings, use hearing protection. Does your job put you on the floor of a noisy manufacturing plant? Do you really want to go to that rock concert? That’s great. Just wear the required hearing protection. Modern earmuffs and earplugs offer abundant protection.
  • Refraining from turning up the volume on your headphones when you’re listening to music or watching videos. Most phones include built-in alerts when you’re nearing a dangerous level.
  • Making use of an app on your phone to notify you when volume levels reach dangerous thresholds.

The damage to your hearing from loud sounds will build up gradually. So if you’ve been to a noisy event, you could have done damage even if you don’t realize it. You can only get a clean bill of health for your ears by a hearing professional.

Step #3: Treat Any Hearing Impairment You May Have

In general, hearing impairment is cumulative. So, the earlier you recognize the damage, the better you’ll be capable of preventing additional damage. That’s why treatment is extremely important when it comes to limiting hearing loss. Practical treatments (that you follow through with) will keep your hearing in the best possible condition.

Here’s what you can expect:

  • Hearing aids can prevent some, but not all, damage. Hearing aids will, for instance, allow you to listen to music or the TV at a lower volume, avoiding damage. Because hearing aids counter this damage, they can also prevent further deterioration of your hearing.
  • We can give personalized guidance and advice to help you avoid added damage to your ears.
  • Hearing aids stop the brain strain and social solitude that worsen hearing loss-related health issues.

You Will be Benefited in The Long Run by Decreasing Hearing Loss

While it’s true that there’s no cure for hearing loss, getting treatment for your hearing loss will help prevent further damage. One of the primary ways to do that, in many situations, is hearing aids. The correct treatment will help you maintain your current level of hearing and stop it from getting worse.

Your allowing yourself the best chance for healthy hearing into the future by using ear protection, getting the proper treatment, and practicing good hearing hygiene.

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The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment, schedule an appointment.