Hearing is a key aspect of human communication. Through hearing, we can hear the sounds in our surroundings. We gather, analyze, and interpret sounds without conscious effort just like blinking or breathing does. So how can you improve your hearing?
Cliche as it may sound, preventing hearing loss is one of the best ways to improve your hearing.
Once the hearing is damaged, it can be difficult to restore it back to normal. In this blog post, we’ll provide you with some helpful tips on how to enhance and protect your hearing.
Regulate the volume.
The inner ear is highly sensitive to loud sounds. Hearing loss can result from repeated exposure to extremely loud noises or from listening to loud sounds for extended periods of time. The cochlea’s cells and membranes can be harmed by loud noise.
Experts advise limiting sound levels to between 60 to 85 decibels to lessen the harm to your hearing. Limit your usage to no more than 15 minutes if you are listening to sounds or music that is about 100 decibels. Take note that these are only basic recommendations because each person’s hearing threshold varies.
Wear Your Hearing Aids
The brain cannot understand what it can’t hear.
If you have hearing loss and own hearing aids, wearing them daily is like therapy for your brain. The speech processing center of the brain is strengthened through auditory stimulation.
Wearing your hearing aids even in a quiet environment, such as your home, still provides ample input for the brain to process. It also helps the brain manage more “load” when you are in noisier environments and more “processing power” is required to make sense of speech in background noise.
Be mindful of earwax accumulation.
Earwax is a natural body secretion, but, as the old saying goes, too much of something can be harmful. If your ears produce too much wax, you may be at risk for hearing problems.
You may not be as sensitive to sounds as you should be if earwax is blocking your ears. If you believe that earwax is the root of your hearing problems, it is advisable to speak with an audiologist.
Never try to physically remove impacted earwax as this may trigger additional problems, such as impaction or injury to the ear canal/eardrum. The removal of earwax by competent audiologists may immediately improve the condition of your ears.
Avoid using ear candles and cotton swabs.
Some people feel really satisfied cleaning their ears with cotton swabs. While this is okay if you’re just going to clean the outer ear, poking a cotton swab into your ear is a whole other story.
Hearing experts highly discourage using cotton swabs and ear candles to clean the ears. Think of it this way – how can you improve your hearing if you are putting in something dangerously small and potentially risky inside your ear canal?
Using ear candles or cotton swabs to clean your ears can do more harm than good. You might end up damaging the ear canal or perforating the sensitive eardrum.
An audiologist can safely remove wax and provide professional ear irrigation if necessary.
Obtain good hearing protection.
The most common and easily avoided cause of hearing loss is loud noise. Keep the listening volume at 60% or less to avoid damaging your ears.
Discuss the appropriate occupational hearing protection with your audiologist if your work or favorite activity exposes you to loud noises. An audiologist can customize hearing protection specifically for you based on your demands and lifestyle.
Keep moving and healthy.
Your heart and ears will both benefit from exercise. Exercise is known to increase blood flow to the ears. You don’t really have to perform vigorous exercises, a simple jog or walking session may significantly enhance blood flow.
How can you improve your hearing? Take care of your ears!
To know more information on how to improve your hearing, consult an audiologist.
Oracle Hearing Center offers hearing and audiology services in Lawrenceville, NJ, and nearby locations.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation!