Hearing is probably one of the most underestimated features of the human body. It is also one of the most used body organs. Every day we use our ears to listen to music, noise in the environment, enjoy loud concerts and musical events. Have we ever thought about how it would feel if we lose the sense of hearing one day due to the neglect we give it? We do not realize the importance of something unless we don’t lose it. To better aware of your ears’ value and how you’re actually harming them, we have collected ten daily habits that might affect your ear’s efficiency.
1. DIET
Like so many diseases being initiated from your diet, hearing is also one of them. Eating the right food can cause or worsen your hearing loss. Your ear needs the right ingredients in your diet to stay healthy like the rest of your body. Eating a healthy diet for your ears includes in-taking Potassium, Folic acid, Magnesium, Zinc, Omega-3 fats, and avoid eating processed foods, sandwich meats, and other inflammatory food items.
2. MISSING YOUR ANNUAL HEARING CHECKUP
Just like other health-related checkups are essential for knowing what’s happening inside your body, a hearing checkup is equally important. If you experience a kind of disruption in your ears and you still keep ignoring it, it might end up as a bigger problem for you in the future. This is the reason why consulting a doctor is so important to have regular and healthy ears. Hearing checkups are also crucial to ensure that your ears are okay and save you from unforeseeable disease or illness in the future.
3. USING COTTON BUDS OR SWABS
Many people use cotton buds or swabs to clean up their ears after taking a shower or generally in their routine. Accidents can happen while you’re using a cotton swab as you may perforate your eardrums, leading to terrible outcomes for your ear health. Ears have their own mechanism of keeping themselves clean and safe from objects such as bugs, ants, or other insects. If you feel problems related to your ears like it, which makes you restless, you may have to visit an ENT specialist or go for an ear test.
4. OBESITY
Obesity is one of the major problems that is faced in the whole world. Obesity causes a lot of issues to the cardiovascular system of the human body. Other than those risks of getting different kinds of diseases in your body, ears are equally affected by obesity. People who are overweight have a weakened circulatory system which makes it harder for their ear structure. Diabetes can restrict blood flow and destroy small blood vessels, which connect to the inner ear’s health. Exercising is excellent for maintaining your body in shape and helps your circulatory system be more efficient, leading to healthy ears.
5. LISTENING TO LOUD MUSIC
This is a common problem in our teenagers and youngsters nowadays. They habitually listen to loud music on their earphones. Listening to loud music is damage to the ear that happens with time. Using different devices for listening to music may develop a sense of your own safe place and comfort. Still, it has many hazards for your ears. Some people use music as a way of enjoying themselves at the gym or at meditation sessions. It is foremost advisable to keep your music volume less than 60% to save your ears from damage.
6. EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL OR SMOKING CONSUMPTION
A lot of people might not know this, but alcohol and smoking are not only detrimental to your lungs or heart but just as hazardous to your ears. Alcohol consumption and smoking are linked to hypertension and cardiac complications in your body. These kinds of diseases ruin the blood circulation to several parts of the body due to the arteries’ blood thickening. A study shows that moderate to high consumption of alcohol can lead your hearing health to jeopardy. It damages the area of the ear where sounds are interpreted to proceed to our senses.
Consider watching this video to know more about the effects of excessive gadget use…
7. NOT USING HEARING PROTECTIONS
This is one of our ears’ effects after spending our leisure time in such activities, which threatens our hearing abilities and does not protect them. In situations like in a concert or mowing your lawn where you need to shout at the other person to make them hear you, but it ends up causing damage to your ears. The high sound levels are dangerous to your ear and would cause permanent damage if not taken precautions. This is why we see musicians wear earplugs to eliminate the noises that can cause them harm.
8. NOT KEEPING YOUR EARS DRY
The middle part of the ear where our eardrums reside has an air-filled cavity. The excess moisture causes the ear to get bacteria and germs inside and affects the ear canal. This can cause ear diseases such as swimmer’s ears or other types of infections which are risky for our ear health and not safe for our hearing potential.
9. STRESS
Every day we hear to have a less stressful life to save our mental health, but we never knew that stress can also affect our hearing ability. Stress and anxiety have been linked to temporary and permanent tinnitus (ringing in the ears). A high level of stress can cause your body to experience flight or fight mode, which is a condition in which your body puts a lot of pressure on your nerves, blood flow, blood heat, and more. This pressure travels up to your ears and contributes to symptoms of hearing loss.
10. A sedentary lifestyle
We spend a common of 9.3 hours every day tied to our desks for work. A sedentary lifestyle promotes unhealthy living and is related to hypertension and other chronic diseases. This inactive lifestyle can lead to hearing loss over time, mostly if the person ignores the symptoms and does not consult a doctor.
Until Next Time,
Team Doctor ASKY!