10 Super Simple Ways You Can Do Better At Treating Your Hearing Loss

Introduction

Hearing loss is the most common sensory condition in the United States, affecting 48 million people. As we age, it’s common to experience some degree of hearing loss due to damage from loud noises or infections. But even if you didn’t grow up listening to music on your Walkman at full blast or attend one too many rock concerts in your youth, there are still ways that you can do better at treating your hearing loss. In fact, there are ten simple things you can do right now — no doctor visits required!

Get a hearing test.

There are a few ways to tell if you have a hearing loss. If you have trouble understanding what people say, especially in noisy places, or if it’s harder for you to hear high frequency sounds like “s” sounds, then it’s possible that you may suffer from some degree of hearing loss. In fact, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), one in three adults over the age of 65 has some form of hearing impairment.

If this describes your situation, don’t wait any longer! Schedule an appointment with an audiologist today so they can examine your ears and determine how much damage has been done. Once they’ve done their work—and provided recommendations on how to treat your condition—you’ll be able to resume enjoying life with full awareness of everything going on around you!

Turn down the volume.

Turn down the volume on your TV, radio, and mp3 player.

If you are in a loud environment such as at a concert or amusement park, use earplugs. They will help dampen the sound around you so that you can better hear what people are saying to you. If someone is speaking directly to you and their voice is too soft for understanding, ask them to repeat what they said a little louder so that it will be easier for you to understand them by turning up your volume through headphones or speakers that aren’t connected directly into your ears (such as an mp3 player).

Chew gum.

Chewing gum is a simple way to improve your hearing.

• Chewing increases blood flow to the ears, helping you hear better.
• The act of chewing increases the amount of saliva in your mouth, which can help hydrate and cleanse the ear canal.
• It may also help improve your speech discrimination by providing more stimulus for listening; this means that it’s easier to distinguish sounds from one another when they’re close together in frequency (like “ba” vs “da”).

Kick the habit.

It’s a little-known fact that smoking is one of the most common causes of hearing loss. This can affect people from a young age, as some exposure to secondhand smoke when in utero may cause permanent damage to the auditory system.

There are many other negative effects associated with tobacco use as well: smokers are more likely than non-smokers to develop tinnitus (a ringing or buzzing sound in your ears), ear infections, and even damage to the eardrum itself. So if you want to do better at treating your hearing loss and protecting what remains, try kicking the habit!

Switch to the over-the-counter cold meds instead of decongestants, which affect blood flow to your ears.

Switch to the over-the-counter cold meds instead of decongestants, which affect blood flow to your ears. Decongestants can make your hearing worse by drying out the mucus membranes in your nose. Instead, try using a decongestant if you have a cold for only about three days, says Dr. Cohen. Then switch to antihistamines, which don’t cause excessive dryness in the nasal passage and are less likely to worsen hearing loss.

Other ways to reduce congestion include steam (using a vaporizer or bath), saline spray and humidifiers that put moisture back into dry indoor air.

Wash your hands clean and often.

You should wash your hands before and after you do a number of things, but this is especially important when it comes to managing your hearing loss. Before eating, after coughing or sneezing, and before cleaning your ears – these are all times when pathogens can enter the body and lead to serious infections. It’s also important to wash hands after touching your face as well as other parts of the body (like the groin). By following these simple steps, you’ll keep yourself safe from any potential illness that may come with treating hearing loss.

Get a grip on your stress levels.

Stress is a major cause of hearing loss. It can also cause tinnitus, ear infections, pain in the ears, ringing and fullness. The higher your stress levels are at any time, the more likely you are to suffer from these symptoms.

Stress often comes about due to work pressure or family issues but it doesn’t have to be this way: there are many ways you can manage it and prevent yourself from suffering from hearing loss in the future!

Find a noise break.

• Earplugs: If you’re working in an environment with a lot of background noise, earplugs are a good way to protect your hearing. They can be made of foam or wax and come in different levels of protection.
• White noise machine: If you live near a busy street, in an apartment building where every neighbor seems to have different schedules, or if you work in an office with doors that don’t lock well and people who talk loudly on phones, a white noise machine may be just what the doctor ordered (or not… if you don’t like being too close to people). These machines produce sounds at frequencies that are designed to block out other noises. You can buy them at most big-box stores for less than $100 or online for even less!
• Noise cancelling headphones: If headphones are your jam then consider investing in some quality ones with active noise cancellation technology built into them so they’ll really muffle those annoying sounds around you! These can range from $50-$300 depending on where they’re purchased from so make sure when shopping around online that whatever pair of cans’ specs match up closest with yours before making any purchases; otherwise it’ll likely end up being an expensive mistake later down the road when trying out new models during sales season months (which happen frequently throughout each year!).

Take good care of your teeth and gums.

• Take good care of your teeth and gums.
• Use a soft-bristled toothbrush.
• Use a fluoride toothpaste.
• Brush your teeth twice a day with your soft-bristled toothbrush, and floss daily to help prevent cavities and gum disease. Do not smoke or drink alcohol to further reduce the risk of oral health problems! In addition, if you wear hearing aids, make sure to remove them before taking a shower or bath because water can cause damage to their electronic components

Watch what you put in your ears.

• Do not use cotton swabs or other cotton products to clean your ears. Cotton swabs can be very damaging to the delicate skin inside your ear canal. They can also cause an infection, which is especially dangerous for people with hearing loss who are already more vulnerable to infections.
• Avoid using ear buds or headphones when listening to music or watching videos, video games and movies, as they block sound coming from all directions, making it difficult for you to hear what’s going on around you while still listening to your music/video.
• Don’t use ear plugs either; they may protect your ears from loud noises but they also prevent good communication—if someone speaks softly (or at all), you won’t be able to hear them! If a family member needs help but their voice isn’t loud enough for you because of this device then it’s better off staying away from them altogether than risking an injury due lack of communication between two parties.”

You can do simple things to help your hearing loss

• Get a hearing aid. This is the most important thing you can do for your hearing loss, hands down. If you’re experiencing difficulty with understanding speech or sounds, it’s time to see a doctor and get fitted for a hearing aid. Hearing aids are small electronic devices that amplify sound so your brain can process it better, which helps with hearing in noisy situations and other environments where there’s background noise like traffic or machinery.
• Stay active! Physical activity has been shown to improve overall health, mental function, memory and cognitive skills (such as attention span), coordination and balance—all key factors in determining how well you’ll be able to hear and understand others around you. It also keeps those pesky extra pounds at bay by increasing caloric expenditure through exercise: even just 20 minutes of daily brisk walking has been shown to be enough for many people who want to lose weight but don’t have time for more intense workouts!
• Get enough sleep every night—at least seven hours if possible—and avoid sleeping pills unless absolutely necessary; these may impair your ability to hear clearly during the day since they make it difficult for our brains’ auditory centers (which control processing sound) from shutting off completely during sleep cycles.”

Conclusion

I hope these tips have been helpful. The most important thing to remember is that you don’t have to suffer in silence. There are ways to get help, so don’t be afraid if you think your hearing is going downhill. The best way to take care of yourself and keep your ears healthy is by being proactive and doing what you can now—before it’s too late!