Hearing loss is a very common condition among the elderly. In fact, over half of those over 65 have some hearing loss. When you get older, your hearing can decrease and become weaker. To make sure that you stay safe and healthy, you should do some things to protect your hearing.
If you’re one of the millions of older people who spend their days in noisy environments, you may want to think about protecting your hearing. While there are no surefire ways to keep your hearing in its prime, there are certain things you can do to protect yourself from hearing loss in old age. In fact, you’re probably already implementing several of them! If you’re interested in senior medical care, we encourage you to check out our website.
1. Reduce Exposure to Loud Noise
The number one way to prevent hearing loss is to avoid exposure to loud noise. That’s because exposure to loud noise damages the cells in the ear that convert sound into electrical impulses that then travel along the auditory nerve to the brain. As a result of repeated exposure to high levels of loud noise, hearing loss occurs in the middle and high-frequency ranges. Some of the most common causes of loud noise exposure include listening to music at too high volume levels, frequent exposure to a loud television or radio, and using headphones while driving.
2. Reduce Alcohol Intake
The problem is that a significant portion of people over 65 have been drinking a lot and may have developed a condition called presbycusis or hearing loss. In other words, they’re getting old and they can’t hear. A study published in July 2016 in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. They found that older people who drank alcohol had a 24 percent greater risk of hearing loss than those who didn’t drink alcohol.
3. Control Hypertension
“In addition to being associated with heart disease and stroke, hypertension is associated with age-related hearing loss,” explains Dr. O’Brien. “Hypertension is the leading cause of death in older adults, and the risk of hearing loss increases with increasing systolic blood pressure levels.”
If you have hypertension, you need to prevent it from getting worse. This means that you should control your blood pressure at normal levels and take your medication as prescribed. But if you don’t have hypertension, you still need to prevent hearing loss. You do this by eating a healthy diet that’s rich in nutrients.
4. Treat Diabetes
Diabetes can lead to hearing loss. The risk of developing hearing loss increases with age, and it’s more prevalent in diabetics than in the general population. In fact, there are some studies that suggest that there is three times the risk of hearing loss for diabetics than for non-diabetics. Diabetes is a major problem worldwide, and the number of diabetics is growing every year.
5. Treat Your Ears With the Right Drugs
When we’re young, our bodies are constantly growing and developing. As we age, we change, and our ears are no exception. While the changes that occur as we get older are often welcomed, we often hear the message of aging as a message of inevitable decline. That is not necessarily true. There are many treatments available that can help treat hearing loss and prevent further hearing loss as we get older.
6. Use Hearing Protection Devices
To prevent hearing loss in old age, people should use hearing protection devices. These devices will protect the user’s hearing. Ear plugs and ear muffs are the two basic categories of hearing protection devices. Ear plugs are inserted into the ears and muffs cover the whole ear. Both can be worn simultaneously.
7. Practice Active Listening
To protect their hearing, elderly people need to practice active listening, advises Lillie, who is hearing impaired. Active listening means listening with the intent to understand and share information. This requires paying attention and being fully engaged. If the listener is engaged, the message becomes clearer and easier to understand. Active listening also increases understanding of the speaker and reduces misunderstandings.
8. Stay in Motion
Another way to prevent hearing loss in old age is by staying in motion. That means regular exercise is the key to keeping hearing intact and preventing any serious decline. This may be a big surprise, but there is no known way to prevent hearing loss in old age. To date, there have been no studies showing that one exercise regimen is more effective than another, says Dr. Michael F. Sivak. But studies show that even moderate exercise like brisk walking or biking five times a week lowers the risk of stroke, heart attack, and diabetes.
In Conclusion,
Although hearing loss can occur at any age, it’s quite rare before the age of 60. And according to a new study, hearing loss could be a risk factor for cognitive impairment, such as dementia, in older adults. As you age, you’ll need to be conscious of the need to stay engaged and active, especially as your brain gets older. By doing everything we can to keep our hearing healthy. These tips will help us keep our ears happy and healthy.