Hearing health is one of those very important health concerns which rarely get the publicity that they demand or deserve. If you have started to wonder about your own hearing, it might be that you need to take a look and make sure that it is being cared for. As it happens, easy enough as it is, there are a few considerations worth thinking about here. And caring for your hearing turns out to be centrally important to looking after your health in general.

Let’s look at some of the major things you need to try and do when it comes to caring for your hearing properly. All of the following are worth considering.

Avoid Exposure To Loud Sounds

The most important thing you need to do for your hearing is to keep your exposure to loud sounds to an absolute minimum. As long as you do this, it’s going to mean that your hearing is more likely to keep on being strong for a long time. That is the kind of simple thing that can make life a lot more enjoyable and livable, so it’s definitely important that you are thinking about this.

There are certain situations where exposure to loud sounds is particularly hard to avoid, of course, so they are worth putting some consideration into in particular. That might mean avoiding them altogether, or just taking precautions when you do go into those situations. Loud concerts are often hard on our ears. Ever notice how much your ears ring of buzz after attending a rock concert? Either way, you’ll find it helps you to avoid damaging your hearing more than necessary.

Get Regular Hearing Tests

Most people forget about the importance of hearing tests. You might think that it’s not one of those things you need to do unless you have an obvious problem. But that’s far from the case. In truth, it’s really important that you are getting your hearing checked out on a regular basis, even if you have not identified any issues yourself with your own hearing. If you have, it is of course especially important to do this.

For most people, an annual hearing test is a good idea, as that will be enough time to help you see what kind of level your hearing is at. Your audiologist will be able to tell you exactly how your hearing is doing, what kinds of change there might have been over time, and whether there are any particular problems that need addressing.

As well as anything else, a regular hearing test is a great way to ensure that you have better peace of mind, so this is definitely something you should consider if you haven’t already.

Don’t Stick Anything Into Your Ears

Sometimes people put items in their ears as a way to try and clear an earwax blockage, but this is strongly advised against. In truth, you don’t need to put anything in your ears, even if you have a lot of wax buildup. All you need to do is gently put a little olive oil or mineral oil in there, and then it will break up of its own accord over time. As you chew, the earwax should jostle around and break up too.

The problem with sticking things in your ears is that it can actually be very dangerous. You can end up, quite easily in fact, damaging the eardrum, and this will result in poor hearing and potentially an infection too. That infection could then be an ongoing problem, as we are about to see.

Let Your Ears Self-Clean

Ears are self-cleaning machines. Essentially, the hairs inside the ear canal trap the dirt coming in from outside the body. That then gets clumped together into earwax, which then breaks apart as you chew, swallow and talk. This is a process that doesn’t need any help or interruption, so the best advice is to just allow your ears to clean themselves in this way, and don’t do anything to help them along.

As we just saw, if you are not careful, you can end up with an infection in your ear. This can actually be quite serious, especially if you don’t get it treated right away. It is usually quite painful, leads to loss of hearing, and can even be fatal if you leave it alone long enough. So it’s vital that you let your ears take care of themselves, but also keep an eye out for any signs of infection too.

Take supplements and vitamins for better hearing health

B vitamins are beneficial for your ears. Magnesium aids in healthy nerve function in the auditory system and helps prevent damage to the inner lining of your arteries. Zinc protects the hair cells within your ear which are responsible for emitting the vibrations that send electrical signals to your brain. Zinc also supports the immune system, therefore preventing ear infections. Vitamin D helps strengthen bones inside your ears and helps prevent otosclerosis (an abnormal bone growth inside the ear that causes hearing loss).Ginkgo biloba a popular herb has been used to treat inner ear disorders for thousands of years. It is thought to increase blood circulation, which may help stabilize hearing loss.

Many people are dairy intolerant and don’t know it. Children often suffer with monthly ear infections. Check with your doctor and try following a dairy free diet to see if this helps to eliminate your child’s ear infections.

Eating a healthy diet

Following an anti inflammatory diet can help your hearing. Fish, contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Bananas are a superfood rich in potassium which helps maintain your hearing as you age. Broccoli, contains fibre and vitamin C and can help reduce the formation of free radicals in the body. Beans and lentils contain zinc and minerals that support the immune system. Garlic has multiple health benefits. It is excellent for your heart and is extremely effective in lowering cholesterol. It also reduces inflammation in your ears and reduces blood pressure to promote better circulation and improved hearing.

Get out in nature

One of the best things you can do for your ears is to get out in nature. Walk on a beach, in a forest where there is little man made noise and only the sounds of nature.

As you can see, caring for your hearing is quite simple, as long as you follow these basic steps and ideas.