Forget the rest of the world, just in the United States, millions of people are suffering from hearing loss. The end result of which is really frustrating.
Hearing loss means serious trouble in communication. That ultimately leads to the communication gap with your family and society at large.
Only the victims and their family understand the pain.
So, is there any shortcut solution to solve the problem? Unfortunately, not. Yes, you will hear a lot about the overnight fix. But these are just scams.
However, in this article, I will not be talking about treatments for hearing loss. Rather, I will talk about the causes and prevention of hearing impairment.
Preventing Hearing Loss Naturally
Rather than some expensive treatments, it’s really wise to take preventing measures to avoid hearing loss. It does not much effort at all. All you need to be just follow the following easy to follow tips.
- Safeguard Against Loud Noise
Noise-induced hearing loss from gunshots, listening to music using headphone on full volume, traffic noise is easily fixable. Just stay away from them as much as possible. Long-term exposure to such loud noise will surely result in permanent hearing loss.
Get any earmuff for shooting protection while you go to hunting or indoor shooting range. That’s the basic & primary prevention of hearing loss due to the loud gunshot. A loud gunshot can make you go deaf immediately you are exposed to it. That’s why you must wear earplugs/earmuff. Just make sure it has NRR rating of at least 22.
- Precautions At Work
You spend at least 8 to 10 hours in your work-space. Is it loud? How long you are exposed to such loud noises? If this is significant, you are damaging your hearing. Talk to your employer or HR personnel.
By law, every employer is bind to provide you a safe working environment. Nowadays, hearing loss prevention in the workplace is a major discussed topic. They may transfer you to a noise-free desk or give you some sort of noise-canceling equipment.
- Be Active, Take Action
Nowadays, wherever you go – there will be noise. Whether you go to a restaurant or any other public place – there might be loud music. Ask the manager to lower the volume if that’s okay.
Also, you are in full control of your own daily life. Buy devices and home appliances that have low noise rating.
- Clean Earwax Carefully
Naturally, earwax will buildup and impair the hearing. Don’t do the same mistake that most people do use a cotton swab to clean it out. The cotton swab may push it further deep in the ear and make the problem even worse.
You can easily get an irrigation kit to wash it off. If it seems hard to get rid of, see your doctor. Again I must warn you: Never insert anything sharp/pointy inside of your ear.
- Be Careful With Medications
There are a lot of medicines that cause hearing loss. Studies have found that some cancer-fighting medicines and even some antibiotics have long term effect that may result in hearing loss.
Ask your doctor about the impact of your medications on your hearing. Ask whether there are any better alternatives without such impact on hearing. Without consulting your doctor, don’t you dare to change the medication!
- Quit Smoking
Sounds weird, right? But many studies have found a link between the impact of smoking on hearing loss. Even passive smoking has the same impact if you are exposed to it long-term. So, stop smoking and stay away from people who smoke while smoking.
- Protection Against Loud Events
We often go to night clubs, sports, or other events where loud noise is natural. The noise can get as loud as beyond the tolerable limit of 85 dB and it may last for hours. Damage to your ears is sure.
Avoid the source of such noises. I mean, just stay away from the source of the noise in such events. If possible, wear your earplug or earmuff.
- Careful Music Listening with Headphone
Music calms our mind, and we spend a significant time listening to music. But you need to be responsible here. The headphone can amplify the sound greatly which could be damaging. Experts recommend that you should only use the 60% volume of your headphone while listening to the music.
Make a habit of listening to music comfortably. Higher volume does not ensure comfort. There are noise-canceling headphones in the market. Consider buying them.
- Get Hearing Tested Regularly
Early detection of hearing loss can help you recover from this problem greatly. That’s the reason your hearing should be tested as soon as you think you are having trouble with your ears.
If the nature of your job lets you expose to noises, every once in a year – your hearing should be tested.
- Stay Away From Miracle Treatment
There is no miracle treatment for hearing loss, but you will find a lot of such treatment on the internet. A significant amount of people trusts such miracle treatment and the scammers are targeting them hard.
There is no such thing as miracle treatment and unless you want to waste your money do harm to your ears further, never go for such treatments.
There are incidents of people dying due to such miracle treatments. Only trust a doctor licensed by the proper authority.
Wrapping Up Hearing Loss Prevention
If you are still with me, that means you have already learned some cool tips on how to prevent hearing loss, right? I hope you find that useful and start following these preventive measures to avoid the hearing loss.
Don’t fall into the trap of overnight solution. Spread this article among your friends and if you have any questions, let me know in the comment box.