We’re living through unprecedented times. Almost 20% of the global population are under lockdown due to COVID-19. Social distancing, social isolation and staying at home where possible are the orders of the day. Normal, routine appointments have in many cases been postponed.
Despite the current crisis, it’s important for us to stay on top of our health and well-being. This includes your hearing health.
We’ve put together an at home hearing healthcare guide to help you keep your ears in tip-top shape. Whether you wear hearing aids or not, taking care of your hearing healthcare is important.
In Home Hearing Healthcare: What You Should Know
You may not realize it, but your ears play a big role in your overall well being. Looking after your hearing healthcare can help keep you socially active, lower your risks of an accident, and reduce the risks of dementia.
Routine hearing healthcare often involves a visit to your local hearing clinic. While this option is not available for many of us at the moment, there are still steps that you can take to look after your hearing at home. Here are our top in home hearing healthcare tips.
Minimize Noise Exposure
Excessive noise exposure is one of the biggest risks for noise induced hearing loss. Common sources of loud noise include jet engines, commuter traffic or rock concerts.
Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security being at home. Sources of potentially dangerous noise in the home can come from the TV or listening to loud music for prolonged periods of time. According to the World Health Organization, almost 1.1 billion teens and young adults are “at risk of hearing loss due to the unsafe use of personal audio devices, including smartphones” (Source).
When listening to music or watching TV, keep the volume to safe levels. If in doubt, practice the 60/60 rule. Avoid using headphones at more than 60% volume for more than 60 minutes a day.
Do Not Put Cotton Swabs in Your Ears
Many of us will use cotton swabs to clean out the wax in our ears. This is not advisable.
Earwax serves an important purpose in your ear. Your ears produce this yellowish, waxy substance. Also known as cerumen, it has an important role in protecting your ears and cleaning them out. In most cases, earwax moves its way out of your ear naturally.
Using cotton swabs to remove earwax can actually end up being counter productive. You risk damaging your ears, and in some cases you may push the earwax further into your ear! This can cause an impaction, and could affect your hearing. An impaction can, at times, be quite painful.
To find out how to safely remove earwax from your ears, please click here.
Keep Moving
We get it, with gyms closed it can be hard to get your daily exercise in. If you needed one more reason to get up and move, your hearing healthcare is it!
Exercise is well known to help improve our moods. Endorphins flooding the body leave us with a sense of euphoria and accomplishment after a good sweat session.
What you might not realize, is that exercise also helps your hearing health. Getting your heart rate up gets blood pumping throughout your body. This includes your ears! Given that your ears are fed by a delicate network of blood vessels, ensuring good blood flow to the area helps keep your ears in optimal shape.
Look After Your Hearing Aids
If you use hearing aids to help with a hearing impairment, it’s important to keep them in good shape. With the appropriate care and maintenance, you can ensure your hearing aids stay in good working order.
You’ll want to keep your hearing aid devices clean, and we recommend ordering a spare battery (or two) if needed. For more information on cleaning and maintenance for your hearing aid devices, please click here.
At Anderson Audiology, We’re Here to Help You!
We know that times are tough right now. If you have any questions on how you can best look after your hearing or hearing aid devices at home, please get in touch. At Anderson Audiology, our hearing specialists would be happy to help. Call us today on 702-997-2964. Alternatively, click here to request an appointment online.