You’ve probably already recognized that your hearing is failing. In most cases, we don’t even realize that our choices are negatively impacting our hearing.
Many types of hearing impairment are avoidable with several basic lifestyle changes. Let’s explore six unexpected secrets that will help you maintain your hearing.
1. Regulate Your Blood Pressure
Consistently high blood pressure is not okay. A study determined that people who have above-average blood pressure are 52% more likely to develop hearing loss, not to mention other health issues.
Take steps to reduce your blood pressure and prevent hearing damage. Consult a doctor right away and never disregard your high blood pressure. Management of blood pressure includes correct diet, exercise, stress management, and following your doctor’s advice.
2. Stop Smoking
There are plenty of reasons to quit smoking, here’s another: Hearing loss is 15% more likely to affect smokers. What’s even more alarming is that there’s a 28% higher chance of someone experiencing hearing problems if they are regularly subjected to second-hand smoke. The dangerous repercussions of second-hand smoke are not only harmful, they also remain in the air for long periods.
If you smoke, protect your hearing and think about quitting. Take actions to reduce your exposure to second-hand smoke if you spend time around a smoker.
3. Keep Your Diabetes Under Control
Diabetes or pre-diabetes affects one out of four adults. Unless they make some significant lifestyle changes, somebody who is pre-diabetic will probably get diabetes within 5 years.
High blood sugar harms blood vessels, which makes it very hard for them to efficiently transport nutrients. A diabetic person is more than twice as likely to experience hearing loss compared to a non-diabetic person.
If you suffer from diabetes, safeguard your hearing by taking the appropriate steps to control it. Safeguard your hearing by making lifestyle changes if you are at risk of type 2 diabetes.
4. Lose Some Weight
This isn’t about body image or feeling good about yourself. It’s about your health. Hearing loss and other health conditions rise as your Body Mass Index (BMI) rises. A mildly obese woman (with a 30 to 34 BMI) has a 17% increased chance of getting hearing loss. For a person with a BMI of 40 (moderate obesity), the risk rises to 25%.
Take steps to lose that extra weight. Your life can be prolonged and your hearing can be safeguarded by something as basic as walking for 30 minutes every day.
5. Don’t Overuse OTC Medications
Some over-the-counter (OTC) drugs can cause hearing loss. The risk rises when these drugs are taken on a regular basis over lengthy periods of time.
Common over-the-counter drugs that affect hearing include aspirin, NSAIDs (like naproxen, ibuprofen), and acetaminophen. Take these drugs moderately and talk to your doctor if you’re taking them on a regular basis.
If you’re using the suggested dose for the periodic headache, studies indicate you’ll most likely be fine. Using them every day, however, increases the risk of hearing loss by as much as 40% for men.
Always follow your doctor’s orders. But if you’re using these medicines every day to manage chronic pain or thin your blood, talk to your doctor about lifestyle changes you can make to lessen your dependence on OTC drugs.
6. Eat More Broccoli
Broccoli is loaded with iron as well as essential nutrients including vitamins C and K. Iron is essential to a healthy heart and strong blood circulation. Iron helps your blood transport oxygen and nutrients 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. You’re more likely to be iron deficient because the iron found in plants is less bioavailable than the iron found in meat.
Pennsylvania State University researchers studied over 300,000 individuals. The researchers determined participants with anemia (extreme iron deficiency) were two times as likely to develop sensorineural hearing loss as those without the condition. Age-related permanent hearing loss is what the technical term “sensorineural hearing loss” refers to.
The inner ear has fragile hair cells that pick up sounds and interact with the brain to transmit the volume and frequency of those sounds. If poor circulation or an iron deficiency causes these delicate hairs to die they will never grow back.
Don’t wait to get a hearing exam because you’re never too young. Implement these steps into your life and prevent hearing loss.
