6 Ways to Protect Your Ears and Hearing Health tips

The sense of hearing is an integral one when it comes to communication. Don't wait until it's too late to start taking care of your ears! Here are six ways to protect your ears and your hearing health.

1. Use earplugs around loud noises

It is known that up to 15% of people have noise-induced hearing loss because of loud working or leisure environments such as clubs, chainsaws, concerts, and other sources of excessive noises that create dangerous sound or notice levels. Ear plus help a lot in cutting this down and they are known to be convenient, cheap, and easy to acquire. These earbuds will reduce harmful sound or volume levels and maintain the original sound levels good for your ears.

2. Turn down the volume

ccording to the World Health Organization, 1.1 billion teenagers and young adults worldwide are at risk for noise-induced hearing loss from unsafe use of audio devices.

If you like to enjoy music through headphones or earbuds, you can protect your ears by following the 60/60 rule. Listen with headphones at no more than 60% volume for no more than 60 minutes a day. If possible, opt for over-the-ear headphones.

Don't forget that any loud music, not just music played through headphones, presents a risk for noise-induced hearing loss. If you're hosting a social event, keep the music at a volume that won't force people to shout in order to hold a conversation.

3. Give your ears time to recover

If you are exposed to loud noises for a prolonged period of time, like at a concert or a bar, your ears need time to recover. If you can, step outside for five minutes every so often in order to let them rest.

What’s more, researchers have found that your ears need an average of 16 hours of quiet to recover from one loud night out.

4. Stop using cotton swabs in your ears

It’s common for people to use cotton swabs to clean wax out of their ear canal, but this is definitely not advisable. A little bit of wax in your ears is not only normal, but it’s also important. The ears are self-cleaning organs, and wax stops dust and other harmful particles from entering the canal. Plus, inserting anything inside your ear canals risks damaging sensitive organs like your ear drum.

If you have excess wax, you can clean around the canal with a damp towel—gently. You could also use ear wax removal solution over the course of a few nights. This softens the wax so that it will eventually flow out on its own.

5. Take medications only as directed

Certain medications, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) like aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen, can sometimes contribute to hearing loss. Discuss medications with your doctor if you're concerned that they'll impact your hearing ability and take them only as directed.

6. Keep your ears dry