Seniors: Ways to Prevent Hearing Loss Caused by Noise

Everyone knows that teens and young adults like to listen to their music at high noise levels. And it’s true; they should turn the music down in an effort to protect their hearing, especially for the future. 26 million people in the United States have some level of hearing loss that has been caused by noise, and it’s 100% avoidable. While some damage may already be done, there are still ways you can prevent additional hearing loss that is caused by noise.

1. Exercise. What? To help your ears? Yes. Exercise isn’t just great for your brain, your heart, and your overall well-being, it also pushes blood flow to your ears and helps protect it from damage. If your blood is flowing through your ears nicely, you’ll experience less damage.
   
2. Avoid cotton swabs inside the ear canal. While for most people it’s fairly common practice to clean their ears by digging cotton swabs into the ear canal, this practice should be stopped. For one, it’s unlikely you’ll clear anything out of the canal because you’re just pushing it deeper in. Also, some wax in the ear is good, as it protects the inner ear (that’s what it’s meant to do). The practice of using swabs to clean the inside of the ear is dangerous as it can pierce the ear canal and do damage to other organs. Instead, use a wet cloth to clean around the area. See your doctor for removal of excess wax.
   
3. Listen to music at a reasonable level. If you wear earphones, AARP suggests you listen only at 60% of the volume, for 60 minutes tops. Also, if you are constantly around noise, whether it’s in your home, at work, or on the street, consider wearing ear plugs to protect your ears from the excessive noise.

If you are a senior living in the Greater Cleveland area and would like to talk with a professional about home health care in Medina, or about other options regarding senior care in Lorain County, you can call the Always Best Care Grafton location at 440-791-7177 to set up a free care consultation. One of their professional care coordinators will sit down with you and discuss your wishes and your needs, and help you create a customized care plan. Call them today; they look forward to talking with you!