Hey!
Have you been told to turn down your earphones because someone else could hear the music? You
might want to be that cool cat with AirPods glued to your ears 24/7 but that’s harmful. Show your
ears some tender loving care because if they get damaged, your hearing will be gone for good.
In today's video let's discuss ways to protect your ears and improve your hearing. Should you be
using cotton buds? Wait a minute can yoga improve hearing? We're talking all that and more...
1. Turn down the volume of your earphones
Let me take you back to biology class and run you through the structure of your ears.
Your ears are small powerful organs. When sound reaches your ears it funnels it down and passes
through a canal till it hits your eardrums. The curtain-like structure then passes the impulse
to the hearing nerves and then to the brain. When this chain is intact you can hear crystal clear.
As you age your hearing capacity diminishes. But that is natural. Recently an alarming
number of the young population is facing hearing loss. So many of us walk around with
earphones cranked up every day. This habit won’t protect your hearing in the long run.
It looks like the dangers are more with earbuds than clunky headphones.
The reason being speakers lie very close to the eardrum. The tinier the earphone
the more likely it will slide into the ear canal and lie close to the eardrum.
This doesn’t mean you stop listening to music.
Music can have a life-altering effect on us. So what do we do? Go by the 60/60 rule. That
means do not play your earphones higher than 60% volume for 60 minutes a day.
You can also opt for noise cancellation headphones. That way you will be able to
hear the music at comfortable levels without having to turn it up to the highest level.
Are you guilty of playing loud music for long hours in your earbuds? Sound off in
the comments below and start a conversation with our ever-growing Bestie community.
2. Use earplugs at noisy places When people are young they remember hearing
every bird chirp in the morning or the sound of raindrops in a puddle of water. But as you age you
might struggle to hear these sounds. This might have something to do with your noisy workplace.
Machinery like lawnmowers, chainsaws, or construction are notorious for robbing you of
your hearing. Sound is measured in decibels. Higher decibels (dB) are your worst enemy.
Studies have shown that any sound above 85 dB can have a permanent damaging effect. These machines
can range anywhere between 98 dB 107 dB. That does not mean you stop mowing your front lawn.
Invest in a good pair of earplugs at the pharmacy. Make sure they are covering the entire ear.
This will dampen the sound waves trying to hit your eardrums. Sometimes airports,
clubs, gyms, concerts and traffic jams can also get too noisy.
How many times did you have to shout on top of your voice to convey your drink order to
the bartender? Take your new earplugs with you everywhere to safeguard your ear health.
3. Train your ears to hear on low volume
It's not just old people cranking up the volume to hear,
many youngsters enjoy putting the stereo on full volume even if they have good hearing.
Loud noise in confined spaces can exert too much pressure on your ears. However tempted
you might be to play your favorite song on the highest volume while you drive around,
it's best to keep it at a minimum.
Hearing loss can be an accumulative effect. If you experience headaches or ringing in
your ears even after the volume has been turned off, your ears are already in a delicate spot.
If you want to safeguard your precious hearing, try listening on low volumes.
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4. Give your ears a break
It can take up to 16 hours of silent time for complete recovery after loud sound
bombardment on your ears. Also, remember to take a 5-minute break by going away from the speakers.
The internal ear has tiny hair cells that help sweep the sound waves ahead.
But if they are bombarded with a loud noise a few of them may die.
Give your ears a relaxing break. Try to be off headphones for a few days. Also, put your phone
on speaker whenever you receive a call in private. If you must listen to music, play it on low with
regular speakers. This can revive the dead hair cells and bring back your ear health.
A noise break can also help you to get rid of the buzzing, ringing, and roaring inside your ears.
5. Get moving
This is one of the million reasons why you should exercise. Working out,
especially cardio, can enhance your hearing sensitivity. A study correlated great
cardiovascular health to great hearing. So try to squeeze in swimming, jump rope,
cycling, jogging or other exercises that up your heart rate in a short time.
Loud music can give some people a kick to push harder in the gym. But it won't help you in
the long run. If you are a beginner, start by moving around the house a little more.
More blood pumping throughout your system ensures more blood to your auditory system.
6. Yoga and meditation
If strenuous exercise doesn't suit your mojo then we have an alternative. Go for yoga. Don't worry
if you cannot twist and turn your body into a pretzel, we have some simpler moves for you.
Deep relaxing stretches like downward dog, triangle pose, tree pose, and the bow pose
can get oxygenated blood to your ears quickly. You don't need to join fancy yoga classes for
this. You can simply start by doing mild stretches within the comfort of your home.
Breathing exercises and meditation can be the best stress busters. When you are under
stress there is an already existing pressure on your nerves, blood flow, and body temperature.
You must have noticed your ears turning hot when you get angry. Sometimes it even causes a ringing
sensation in the ears called tinnitus. Relaxing techniques can help you get better control over
yourself in panic situations. This can be a perfect option for those looking for a
holistic betterment of hearing. With a focused mind and sharper concentration,
you will even be able to hear sounds that might have otherwise slipped your attention.
Before we go ahead try; do yoga for 10 minutes every day, see what happens to your body.
7. Quit smoking
Is this the weirdest thing you’ve heard for enhancing hearing? Let us break it down for you.
Healthy hearing happens when there is a proper flow of oxygenated blood reaching your hearing
cells. Smoking creates hypoxia in your system. This means that there is an oxygen deficit.
That deficit is leveled up by toxic gases like carbon monoxide and nicotine.
The cells of your ears start shutting down without oxygen,
causing hearing impairment. It's only in your best interest to say no to tobacco.
8. Exercise your brain It's not enough just to work
those muscles and joints. Making your brain strong is equally vital. Hearing centers are located in
the brain. When the hearing impulse reaches your brain it acts as a processing unit to
convert the impulse into hearing. But with age, your brain and the grey cells start shrinking.
People who are engaged in mental activities like formal education,
learning new languages, challenging it with numbers, or just learning a new
musical instrument can stop their brain from aging. So try solving that Sudoku
puzzle or a game of chess to sharpen your mental paucities as well as your hearing.
9. Vitamin supplements Refined junk food like chips,
sugary sodas, and fatty meats are no good for your
body. They increase the bad cholesterol and clog the arteries, even your ears.
If your diet lacks fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and healthy fish, supplements
should be on your list. Try to get B vitamins to facilitate better blood circulation. They
are also important to maintain the health of your nervous system. Micronutrients like folic acid,
zinc, and magnesium also have a big role in better hearing.
Also, remember to have lots of Vitamin C as it is a powerhouse of antioxidants and
can combat free radicals. Thus can prolong the onset of age-related hearing problems.
But remember never to self-medicate. Some pain killers may cause hearing loss too.
Never hesitate to talk to your doctor before taking any supplement as a part of a regular diet.
10. Dry your ears We often avoid cleaning the ears,
especially after a shower or a swim. But allowing that water to sit in your ear canal can cause
something called swimmer's ear. Moist conditions allow bacteria to grow causing an ear infection.
This is a serious condition as it can cause permanent hearing damage.
Tilt your head and gently pull your earlobe to break the seal and allow water to flow out.
If you still feel water try patting it dry with a soft towel. There are also waterproof
plugs that act as a barrier between your ears and the water from the pool.
You must never forget to get rid of pool water as it is a source of bacteria.
11. Don't use cotton buds We highly recommend you ditch
the q-tips or cotton buds. These devices have created a false mindset of cleaning the ear canal
efficiently. In reality, these buds just push the ear wax deeper. Accumulation of debris and
wax can cause temporary hearing loss. That's why keeping the canal clean is absolutely important.
Your ears will produce sticky wax as a protective mechanism. In fact, it is a good
thing when they produce wax. It’s a self-cleansing mechanism and keeps bacteria away from the ears.
Some might even start using bobby pins to scrape out the gunk. This
can be tricky. The eardrum is very delicate and if the end of your bobby
pin reaches too far and pierces it you will be at a great loss.
Doctors also advise you to refrain from using any kind of cleaning instruments in
your ears. Instead, you can get prescribed drops or solutions that can be used to flow out the
ear wax. Hot oils and water sprays should never be put inside your ears. If you feel that there
is a lot of gunk after trying these methods you can always go for a professional cleanup.
It's not always about removing ear wax correctly. Sometimes pesky little
insects can also get trapped inside. Do you know how to get rid of them?
Let's keep the conversation going with a couple of more ear cleaning-related videos, shall we?
Watch an insect flew into your ear, What should you do next?
or 4 home remedies for removing ear wax.
Go ahead, click one. Or better yet, watch both, and learn more about how to keep your
ears clean? Do you know any other reasons for deafness? Let us know in the comments below!