You’ve most likely already recognized that your hearing is waning. Normally, we don’t even realize that our decisions are negatively affecting our hearing.
With a few simple lifestyle changes, many kinds of hearing loss can be prevented. Let’s look at six unexpected secrets that will help you protect your hearing.
1. Regulate Your Blood Pressure
It’s not okay if your blood pressure remains high. A study found that hearing loss was 52% more likely with people who have above average blood pressure and they are more likely to have other health issues as well.
Take steps to reduce your blood pressure and prevent hearing damage. See a doctor as soon as possible and never disregard your high blood pressure. Following your doctor’s guidance, eating a healthy diet, managing stress, and exercising regularly are all parts of blood pressure management.
2. Quit Smoking
Here’s one more reason to quit: Hearing loss is 15% more likely to impact smokers. Even more alarming: Individuals who are frequently subjected to second-hand smoke are 28% more likely to develop hearing troubles. The dangerous consequences of second-hand smoke are not only harmful, they also stay in the air for long periods.
Think about protecting your hearing, if you smoke, by quitting. If you spend time with a smoker, take actions to minimize your exposure to second-hand smoke.
3. Regulate Your Diabetes
One out of four adults is either pre-diabetic or diabetic. Unless they make some serious lifestyle changes, someone who is pre-diabetic will probably get diabetes within 5 years.
High blood sugar damages blood vessels, which makes it extremely hard for them to effectively carry nutrients. A diabetic person is more than two times as likely to experience hearing loss compared to a non-diabetic individual.
If you have diabetes, safeguard your hearing by taking the proper steps to manage it. If you are at risk of getting type 2 diabetes, safeguard your hearing by making lifestyle changes to prevent it.
4. Lose Some Weight
This is more about your health than feeling good about how you look. As your Body Mass Index (BMI) rises, so does your risk of hearing loss and other health disorders. The chance of getting hearing loss goes up by 17% for a mildly obese woman with a BMI of 30 to 34. For an individual with a BMI of 40 (moderate obesity), the risk rises to 25%.
Take steps to lose that excess weight. Your life can be prolonged and your hearing can be safeguarded by something as basic as walking for 30 minutes each day.
5. OTC Medicines Shouldn’t be Overused
Hearing loss can be the outcome of certain over-the-counter (OTC) medications. The more frequently these medicines are used over a long period of time, the higher the risk.
Drugs like acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin are known to cause hearing loss. Take these medications sparingly and consult your doctor if you’re using them on a regular basis.
Studies reveal that you’ll most likely be okay if you’re using these medications occasionally in the suggested doses. Using them daily, however, raises the risk of hearing loss by up to 40% for men.
Your doctor’s guidance should always be followed. But if you’re using these medicines each day to control chronic pain or thin your blood, talk to your doctor about lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your dependence on OTC drugs.
6. Eat More Broccoli
Broccoli is packed with nutrients and vitamins such as C and K and also is high in iron. Iron is integral to a healthy heart and strong blood circulation. Oxygen and nutrients are carried to your cells which helps keep them nourished and healthy and iron is an important part of this process.
For vegetarians or people who don’t eat much meat, eating a sufficient amount of plant-based iron is essential. The iron found in plants is not as bioavailable as the iron in meat so people in this group are more likely to be deficient in iron.
More than 300,000 people were examined by Pennsylvania State University. The researchers found participants with anemia (extreme iron deficiency) were twice as likely to develop sensorineural hearing loss as those without the condition. Age-related irreversible hearing loss is what the technical term “sensorineural hearing loss” refers to.
Sound is received and sent to the brain by fragile little hairs in the inner ear which vibrate with the volume and frequency of that sound. If these hair cells die as a result of poor circulation or other complications related to iron deficiency, they won’t grow back.
You’re never too young to have your hearing tested, so don’t wait until it’s too late. Apply these steps to your life and reduce hearing loss.