How to Better Protect Your Sight and Hearing

As everyone gets older, our senses become less and less sharp. Each one of your five senses play a huge role in how you interpret and enjoy the world around you, so it is important to do everything you can to protect them in any way that you can. Many of these things are very simple and don’t require a lot of effort on your part. If you are straining your eyes, trying to read in the dark, turn on a light. If you are listening to your music through headphones too loud, turn down the volume just a little bit. 

Sight

The first thing that you should do to protect your vision is to visit an optometrist on a regular basis and particularly if you notice any changes in the way you see or if you find yourself struggling to read things. You can help to avoid eye strain yourself by performing tasks in the proper lighting. Many of us are now experiencing vision problems as we spend so much time working on computer screens. To combat this, you should take regular breaks to focus on things further away. 

When the weather gets brighter, wearing sunglasses helps to stop your eyes from becoming strained. If you wear glasses on a regular basis, keep them clean so you are not impairing your vision any more. Making sure you get plenty of omega-3 fatty acids, as well as vitamins C and E can also be very beneficial. Keep track of your general health closely. For example, high blood pressure has been closely linked to detrimental eye conditions. If you are still a smoker, now is the time to stop this activity. You may not naturally associate smoking with eye damage, but it can significantly increase your chances of developing vision-related issues like cataracts.   

Hearing

Though hearing loss was always typically associated with people in old age, exposure to loud noises on a sustained basis can be problematic for everyone. In fact, the World Health Organisation estimates that one billion young people under the age of 35 could be putting themselves at risk of hearing damage because of their unsafe listening habits. Be careful of listening to music that is too loud with your earbuds in for too long. Seeking out tinnitus relief sooner rather than later is worth it if you suffer from the early signs.
Try getting some noise-cancelling ones so you don’t feel the need to crank up the volume when the background noise is particularly loud. The 60-60 rule suggests that you listen to your music at no higher than 60% volume for no more than 60 minutes per day. Remember, hearing damage often tends to be permanent. Always wear the appropriate protection if you are working in a noisy environment. If you experience any sort of hearing loss or pain, you should consult with a medical professional at the earliest possible opportunity.