You may find it surprising that hearing is the third most common physical condition after arthritis and heart disease. As you age, it’s not uncommon to suffer from some amount of hearing loss. Hearing depends on how your auditory nerve carries electrical signals to your brain. Sound waves are converted to electrical signals before reaching brain.
With ageing, there are degrees of hearing loss varying from mild to moderate and severe to profound. This age-related loss is termed Presbycusis. It’s a condition, which causes changes in the inner ear as you age. This results in a slow but steady hearing loss. One in three adults over age 65 have auditory loss. Because of the gradual change in hearing, some people are not aware of the change at first. Most often ringing in the ears will accompany not being able to hear clearly. Known as tinnitus, this condition is as debilitating as not being able to hear.
Even though you can’t prevent age-related hearing loss, you can take care of your ear to avoid using a hearing aid .
Following are the ways to take care of your ears:
Don’t Watch TV on High Volume
Usually, you may not realise that the volume of television can have an impact on your hearing. Often in homes where there are young children the volume of television crosses normal decibel levels. Though you may not find it troubling, soon your ears may get used to this pitch and as result the the audible decline begins. The thumb rule to see if volume is loud enough is if you have to raise your voice to talk to other people or if you can’t hear what people nearby are saying to you.
Avoid Earplugs
Using earphones or even headphones for a long period of time is a sure shot way to affect your hearing. If at all you have to use them everyday, for extended period of time, then try using a noise-cancelling headphone. This way you won’t turn the volume up to cover up outside noise. Also, never use, headphones for more than an hour at a time.
Clean your Ears Safely
Ears usually don’t need to be cleaned internally because they have a built-in self-cleaning mechanism. Avoid using an ear bud to clean your ears. To clean outer ear, start by washing it carefully with a warm washcloth. If you have earwax and it feels painful, then visit your doctor. Never try clearing clogged ears at home.
Take Precautions during Air Travel
Take care during air travels to avoid getting an airplane ear. An airplane ear entails the sensation of fullness or discomfort in your ears when making rapid altitude changes. During take-off and landing, take care of your ears chewing gum, yawning or swallowing. You can ask the airplane for specially filtered earplugs, which help to equalise ear pressure.
Get your Hearing Tested
Consult a doctor when you feel an earache. Never pour anything, especially warm oil, into your ears for earache or so. Go for a hearing test if you’re worried that you might be losing your hearing. The earlier hearing loss is picked up, the earlier something can be done about it. There’s nothing to feel embarrassed about using hearing aids.
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