It’s likely that you’ve already noticed that you don’t hear as well as you used to. Hearing loss typically develops as a result of decisions you make without recognizing they’re affecting your hearing.
With a few basic lifestyle changes, many types of hearing loss can be avoided. Let’s explore six unexpected secrets that will help you preserve your hearing.
1. Manage Your Blood Pressure
Consistently high blood pressure is not good. A study determined that individuals with higher than-average blood pressure are 52% more likely to have hearing loss, not to mention other health issues.
Prevent injury to your hearing by taking measures to reduce your blood pressure. Consult a doctor right away and never dismiss your high blood pressure. Following your doctor’s guidance, managing stress, eating a healthy diet, and getting regular exercise are all parts of blood pressure management.
2. Quit Smoking
Here’s another reason to quit: Hearing loss is 15% more likely to impact smokers. Even more alarming: Individuals who are regularly exposed to second-hand smoke are 28% more likely to develop hearing troubles. The hazardous consequences of second-hand smoke are not only harmful, they also linger in the air for long periods.
Think about safeguarding your hearing, if you’re a smoker, by quitting. If you spend time with a smoker, take actions to reduce your exposure to second-hand smoke.
3. Keep Your Diabetes Under Control
Diabetes or pre-diabetes impacts one out of four adults. Unless they make some serious lifestyle changes, someone who is pre-diabetic will probably get diabetes within 5 years.
Blood vessels that are damaged by high blood sugar don’t efficiently transport nutrients. A diabetic person is more than two times as likely to cope with hearing loss compared to a non-diabetic individual.
If you suffer from diabetes, protect your hearing by taking the appropriate steps to manage it. If you are at risk of getting type 2 diabetes, safeguard your hearing by making lifestyle changes to avoid it.
4. Lose Some Weight
This is more about your health than feeling great about how you look. Hearing loss and other health problems rise as your Body Mass Index (BMI) increases. A mildly obese woman (with a 30 to 34 BMI) has a 17% higher chance of developing hearing loss. For an individual with a BMI of 40 (moderate obesity), the risk goes up to 25%.
Take actions to lose that excess weight. Something as basic as walking for 30 minutes every day can lower your chance of hearing loss and prolong your life.
5. OTC Medicines Shouldn’t be Overused
Certain over-the-counter (OTC) medications can lead to hearing loss. The more frequently these medications are taken over a long period of time, the higher the risk.
Medications including acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin are known to trigger hearing loss. Use these medicines in moderation and only with your doctor’s advice if you need to take them more frequently.
Studies reveal that you’ll probably be okay if you’re taking these medications occasionally in the suggested doses. The danger of hearing loss goes up to 40% for men, however, when these medicines are taken on a day-to-day basis.
Always follow your doctor’s recommendations. Your doctor may be able to suggest some lifestyle changes that will reduce your dependence on these medicines if you are taking them every day.
6. Eat More Broccoli
Broccoli is loaded with iron along with essential nutrients like vitamins C and K. Iron is vital to blood circulation and a healthy heart. Iron helps your blood transport nutrients and oxygen to cells to keep them nourished and healthy.
If you’re a vegetarian or eat very little meat, it’s critical that you consume enough plant-based iron. 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 studied by Pennsylvania State University. The researchers determined participants with anemia (extreme iron deficiency) were two times as likely to develop sensorineural hearing loss as those without the disorder. Sensorineural hearing loss is the scientific name for permanent hearing loss related to the aging process.
Sound is received and sent to the brain by delicate little hairs in the inner ear which vibrate with the frequency and volume of that sound. If an iron deficiency or poor circulation causes these little hairs to die they will be gone forever.
You’re never too young to have your hearing examined, so don’t wait until it’s too late. Implement these steps into your life and prevent hearing loss.