Not only can healthy living directly impact your physical health and well-being, but also your hearing. While most people experience hearing loss as they age, bad habits can also contribute to hearing problems. Hence, taking care of your overall physical health can increase your chances of preventing hearing loss and improving your hearing health. Unhealthy habits like smoking cigarettes can affect your physical health and contribute to experiencing hearing problems.
Having a hearing problem can have a profound impact on your quality of life. It can make engaging in conversations difficult, contributing to social isolation and mental health problems like depression. It can also have a profound impact on your emotions and educational development. However, adopting a healthy lifestyle and regularly scheduling an appointment with an audiologist at your nearest HearCanada clinic to have your hearing tested can go a long way to improving your hearing health. Here are some top lifestyle changes you can make to improve your hearing health and your overall quality of life:
1. Regular Workouts
Regular exercise is extremely important for your overall health and well-being, including your hearing. According to a 2013 study, physically fit people usually have a greater chance of protecting their hearing as they age. Another study found an association between heart health and hearing ability. Heart disease was shown to contribute to hearing loss. Not exercising often may lead to developing heart disease. That means living a sedentary lifestyle can affect your health in many ways, including your hearing function.
Regular physical exercise can reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular disease, protecting your hearing. Physical exercise can also improve your hearing health by promoting proper blood flow and circulation to your auditory system. Instead of sitting on the couch all day, consider taking a walk, jogging, gardening, or even hitting the gym since this will increase your heart rate, helping blood circulate throughout your entire body.
2. Work On Your Nutrition
Adding nutrient-rich foods to your diet is known to improve your hearing health and overall health. This includes foods rich in vitamins like fruits, vegetables, fish, whole grains, seeds, and nuts. Vitamins help increase blood circulation and regulate fluid levels in your inner ear. Foods rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, like salmon fish, have been shown to protect against age-related hearing loss and improve heart health.
Also, ensure you consume plenty of spinach, broccoli, and asparagus that provide your body with folic acid, which helps reduce nerve damage in your inner ear. Bananas and artichokes will give your body some magnesium, which is crucial for preventing noise-related hearing loss and improving nerve function in your ears. Other foods to add to your diet include those rich in Zinc since it helps protect hair cells in your ear from damage and boosts your immune system to fight off bacteria and infections.
3. Prevent Chronic Disease
Chronic diseases like heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes can cause damage to the cells of your inner ear that usually help with hearing. Preventing chronic diseases can go a long way toward protecting your hearing. Following your doctor’s advice and treatment plan can help you keep chronic illnesses in control if you already have them, improving your hearing. You may also want to consume foods that help fight chronic diseases.
Great examples include taking a little dark chocolate daily to improve brain function. Almonds can also help lower your blood cholesterol levels, improving your brain and heart health. Avoid cigarettes and alcohol since they affect your central nervous system and blood pressure. Cigarette smoke can even block your Eustachian tube, leading to hearing problems. Most importantly, reduce salt intake since excessive amounts can lead to higher blood pressure.
4. Observe Sound Hygiene
Prolonged exposure to loud noises is one of the leading causes of hearing loss and impairment. Protecting your ears from loud noises can prevent potential damage to your ears and improve your hearing. Avoid listening to music or answering calls while wearing earbuds or headphones. Listening to loud music via headphones for extended periods introduces the noise directly into your ear canal, causing damage to the sensitive parts of your inner ear and resulting in hearing problems.
Apart from not using headphones for prolonged periods, you can also improve your hearing function by wearing ear protection in loud environments like nightclubs, construction sites, and industries. Ear protection prevents loud noise from causing ear trauma, which can contribute to hearing problems.
5. Get Quality Sleep
Not getting enough sleep can affect your mental and physical health over time, increasing your chances of developing hearing problems. It’s important to ensure you get enough sleep every night to improve your overall well-being and hearing health. If you suffer from sleep apnea, consider visiting your doctor for treatment. That’s because sleep apnea has been shown to cause hearing problems, particularly with high and low-frequency sounds. Getting quality sleep can also help reduce your risk of developing diseases and illnesses that could affect your hearing function.
Endnote
Making the above changes to your lifestyle can benefit your overall health and improve your hearing health. Ensure that you regularly schedule a hearing test to help identify potential hearing problems early enough and get treated before they result in permanent hearing loss.
