No matter how old you are, there are steps you can take to save and enhance your ability to hear.
Even for those who are young, understanding what can lead to hearing loss and remedies to fix any problems each day can lead to a more productive and less painful life.
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In honor of “National Save Your Hearing Day,” here are some things to know about hearing loss and ways to prevent it, according to earq.com.
What can hurt our ears
- Loud noise. This is pretty obvious, as loud music at clubs or concerts, lawnmowers and construction equipment can deteriorate our hearing, according to earq.com.
- Cotton swabs. Inserting anything inside your ear canal risks damage to the eardrum, according to earq.com, and it’s also not advisable to clear out wax. A little bit of wax is important because it stops harmful particles from entering the canal.
- Moisture. If this gets in the ear, bacteria can also enter and do some damage.
- Stress. Extra stress can put pressure on our nerves, which can often travel to the inner ear.
Ways to protect our ears
- Use earplugs around loud noises. If you can’t prevent being around noise, reduce it as much as possible.
- Turn volume down on headphones or earbuds.
- Give your ears time to recover. Taking a few minutes to go to a quiet spot if you’re around loud noises, and giving your ears hours to rest after a night out around loudness can help reduce hearing loss.
- Keep ears as dry as possible.
- Exercise. Getting the blood going helps internal parts of your ears stay healthy.
- Get regular ear screenings.
According to the CDC, many people don’t many don’t feel warning signs such as pain or ringing in the ears until their hearing is already damaged -- and if loud noises don’t bother people as much as they used to, hearing might already be lost.