Are You Harming Your Hearing?
By Sara Butler
Many people tend to take their hearing for granted. In doing so, they may be hurting their hearing each day without realizing it. The fact is that there are many everyday situations that can cause hearing loss -- a few of which you've probably found yourself in today! Here are a few ways you can damage your hearing and what you can do to protect it going forward.
You Clean Your Ears
Cleaning your ears isn't a bad thing unless you do it with cotton swabs. If so, you're only pushing earwax deeper into your ear canal and causing issues. Over time, ear wax buildup can form a plug and make it harder for your ear to do its job.
You shouldn't put anything into your ear canal to clean it. Your ear is already self-cleaning, which means that it will naturally flush earwax and other debris out on its own. All you need to do is wash your ears in the shower. If you have wax that has become impacted in your ear canal, see a doctor for help.
You Smoke
Smoking is a terrible thing for your health. You know it's bad for your heart and your lungs, but did you know it's bad for your ears too? It's true! The toxins contained in cigarette smoke can lead to hearing loss. If you're at a higher risk for diabetes because of unhealthy lifestyle choices, then that puts you at a higher risk of hearing damage too. Healthy choices can make a huge difference in your overall health, including the health of your ears.
Reduce the damage you're doing to your blood vessels by quitting smoking as soon as possible. You should also work to reach and maintain a healthy weight to help you control your blood sugars. Each of these things will lead to a healthier you and healthier ears too.
You Don't Wear Protection
When you do things such as mow your lawn, go to a concert, or ride in an airplane, are you protecting your ears? If not, you may be doing some major damage. Things such as planes, lawnmowers, and your favorite guitarist can damage your hearing, so preserve it with some proper noise protection from noise-canceling headphones or earplugs.
You can never regain hearing you've lost, so take good care of your ears as you get older!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in St. Louis, Mo.