The idea that diet plays a crucial role in strengthening bones and improving vision, and that eating healthy and doing regular exercise can keep you healthy, is a common understanding. But did you know that your lifestyle choices can also significantly impact your hearing health? It’s true! Continue reading to find out how what you do every day can impact your ears and hearing.
Manage what you can for your hearing health
Genetics plays a large role in whether you will have hearing issues. There isn’t a lot you can do about it if your parents and grandparents were hard of hearing. By making informed choices about your daily routines, however, you can decrease the advancement of the condition.
Regardless of your age, if you don’t have a history of hearing problems in your family, it’s a good plan to take proactive measures to safeguard your hearing and set yourself up for a lifetime of healthy hearing by implementing the following approaches.
Protect your ears
Think about purchasing hearing protection if you’re frequently subjected to loud sounds at work or enjoy attending high-volume events. Utilize earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones.
Exposure to loud noises leads to noise-induced hearing loss.
Urge your kids and teens to make use of them too. It’s never too early to take steps to protect your hearing.
Choose a healthy diet
Make it a point to incorporate the following foods into your diet:
- Fish
- Legumes
- Garlic
- Bananas
- Dark chocolate
- Whole grains
- Broccoli
These foods consist of nutrients that provide strength for the tiny bones in your ears, while at the same time they prevent irregular bone growth.
Be active
Regular physical activity is crucial for preserving good cardiovascular health. Think about incorporating activities like brisk walking, swimming laps, or riding a bike into your routine.
Doing consistent low-impact physical activity improves the health of your heart and blood vessels, decreasing the likelihood of hypertension and its potential link to hearing issues.
Stop Smoking forever
The presence of hazardous compounds in cigarettes, such as arsenic, ammonia, and formaldehyde, can harm the internal mechanisms of your ears and eventually lead to hearing loss.
In addition, it is linked to the development of tinnitus.
Reduce your alcohol consumption
Drinking too many cocktails in a short period of time can impact your hearing health. It can lead to impaired hearing, typically knowned as cocktail deafness, where background sounds become muted. It can also result in temporary tinnitus.
There is a possibility of these two situations becoming irreversible. If you notice hearing loss or ringing in the ears, it is advisable to reach out to a hearing specialist for an evaluation.
Use supplements that positively affect hearing health
The following supplements are not only good for your general health, but there are studies that link them to supporting hearing health.
- Omega 3 fatty acids
- Zinc
- Magnesium and Potassium
- Vitamins A, C, and E
- B Vitamins
Talk with your primary care physician to ensure they are okay for you.
Schedule regular hearing exams
Regular hearing tests are the best way to pinpoint any hearing problems or changes to your hearing at an early stage.
Book a hearing test today
If you are presently dealing with hearing loss, think about these lifestyle changes and arrange a meeting with a skilled hearing professional as soon as possible.