Hearing Loss Prevention

Musical concerts and movies offer wonderful experiences but can hurt your hearing. Consider wearing hearing protection if you are in a loud commercial, industrial, or recreational environment. Protect yourself whenever you’re firing guns or near people who are. Avoid loud rock concerts - or at least wear earplugs if you do attend.

Ear wax is important—it keeps our ears protected and moisturized. But when the body produces too much, it can build up, become impacted and prevent sound from entering the ear. Ear blockage from wax is actually one of the most common causes of conductive hearing loss, or hearing loss when sound is blocked from reaching the inner ear.

The good news? This type of hearing loss is usually temporary; with prompt removal of the impacted ear wax, hearing can normally be restored. However, ear wax left untreated for too long may lead to more permanent hearing loss.

Think your ear wax is out of control? Your doctor can determine if the wax in your ears is normal and perform a simple procedure to clear up any blockage. Just don't try to remove it on your own, especially with cotton swabs, which can actually push the wax further into your ear canal, causing more issues. 

Some hearing problems can be treated if they’re caught early. Don’t hesitate to ask your doctor for a hearing test if you feel uncertain about your ability to hear. Or, visit any one of our provider locations to get your hearing checked.

If you’ve ever traveled by plane, you’ve probably experienced a “popping” sensation in your ears during takeoff and landing. This phenomenon is commonly known as “airplane ear.”

This effect occurs thanks to our Eustachian tubes, passageways on each side of the head that connect the upper part of the throat to the middle ear. They help drain fluid and equalize air pressure between the nose and ear. As air pressure rapidly builds and drops during flight, our ears feel blocked, becoming difficult to hear. When our ears “pop,” it’s a sign that the Eustachian tubes are doing their job of equalizing air pressure in the middle ear.

Typically, chewing gum, swallowing, and yawning help open the Eustachian tubes and restore normal hearing. However, flying while congested can create complications that lead to temporary or, in some cases, permanent hearing loss.

Congestion causes swelling to the tissues lining the Eustachian tubes and makes it difficult to equalize air pressure, leading to severe ear pain. When this occurs, your ears won’t pop after landing, and you may experience difficulty hearing for several days. In more serious cases, the pressure may cause your eardrum to burst. 

It’s best to avoid air travel if you have a sinus infection or cold (to not only spare your ears but your fellow passengers, as well), but if you must fly, there are ideas to protect your hearing and minimize discomfort.

• Take a nasal decongestant. These medications help reduce swelling and open the passageway of the Eustachian tube. It’s a good idea to take the decongestant 2 to 3 hours before your anticipated flight arrival time, so they are most effective during the landing period when pressure tends to be the most severe. 
• Keep candy handy. In mild cases, sucking and swallowing sweets may help to open the Eustachian tubes. 

Stress in small doses has its advantages, but excessive stress can be crippling to your mental and physical health. Chronic stress saps energy and weakens the immune system, leaving us more prone to all kinds of health issues - ranging from headaches and frequent colds to long-term illnesses such as heart disease.

But how does stress affect hearing? It traces back to blood circulation. The body’s response to high-stress levels triggers an overproduction of adrenaline that can reduce blood flow to the inner ear - or disrupt it completely - and result in hearing loss.

Significant long-term stress often leads to hypertension (high blood pressure), which is another condition linked to hearing loss and tinnitus. Hypertension has been shown to accelerate age-related hearing loss and is a common cause of pulsatile tinnitus, an affliction characterized by a pulsing noise in the ear.

While too much stress can result in hearing damage and tinnitus, living with these conditions may also add to the stress in your life. It’s important to find healthy ways to cope with emotional stress, whether that involves exercising regularly, spending more time in nature, or seeking the support of a therapist.

Diet has been found to play a crucial role in both our health and the way we hear. While there’s no hard-set rule for which types of foods you should eat for hearing loss prevention, practicing sound dietary habits today may go a long way in helping you hear better tomorrow.

Did you know that smokers may be up to 70% more likely to develop hearing loss? [1] In addition to the risk to your hearing health, smoking has long been associated with many other health conditions, including cancer, heart disease, and more. Your ears are just one more reason to rethink lighting up.

Certain medications, like some NSAIDs and diuretics, are classified as ototoxic, which means that they literally poison your ears over time. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist to see if any medication you're currently taking is ototoxic and whether or not there may be an alternative that you could take.