How to Improve Your Hearing as You Get Older

Your hearing is important to manage, and it’s something that you really should be focused on getting checked regularly. A routine hearing examination is just like any other medical/health appointment. Whether that’s going to the dentist or seeing your doctor for an MOT health check.

When your hearing is compromised, it can impact more of your body than you think, as well as deteriorate your quality of life if you don’t take control of it. Here are some of the ways you can help improve your hearing as you get older.

Protect your hearing

It’s very important to protect your hearing, whether that’s using earplugs or earmuffs in noisy environments to prevent further damage. Turning down the volume on your radio and your phone when you’re listening to music and watching television. 

Try to follow the 60/60 rule when it comes to headphones in particular, a maximum of 60% volume for 60 minutes.

Seek medical advice and tools

It’s worthwhile seeking out medical advice and tools that are available when it comes to improving your hearing.

Consulting an audiologist for devices like cochlear implants and hearing aids, which are both highly effective for restoring hearing.

Use television/telephone amplifiers and alerting devices when it comes to needing assistive technology. 

Earwax removal is helpful for ensuring your ears remain clean and healthy. Have a professional remove wax buildup, and never use cotton swabs, as this just pushes the wax further down the ear canal. 

Lifestyle changes

There are several lifestyle changes to make to help ensure your hearing is at its prime. Did you know that diet can be one of those contributors to your health? Eating foods that are rich in antioxidants, magnesium, and potassium are all helpful in supporting your ear health. 

Folic acid may also be helpful to take to help slow age-related decline. Exercise is good to do regularly in order to improve blood flow to the inner ear. Smoking is something to avoid and is often linked to a higher risk of hearing loss.

Hearing training and tests

A hearing test is helpful to do in order to check the health of the ears and to ensure that nothing is missing from your hearing that might have once been there, like background noises.

With hearing tests, they can highlight any causes for concern and the options available to address hearing loss, whether that’s hearing aids or cochlear implants.

Hearing training is good to do in order to help challenge your hearing. Focus on background noises and do some active listening where someone reads to you while focusing on sounds.

Communication techniques

To help ensure you maximize your interactions with others and don’t end up with hearing fatigue, face any of those who speak to you face-on. This helps to see everything from their face to the lips and gestures they make while talking.

Try to reduce noise in the environment you’re in, so turn down the television so that you can concentrate on the conversation that’s happening. If at any point you’re struggling to hear or find yourself asking for repetition, ask for clarity from the speaker so that you can get a better opportunity to understand what’s being said without being rude, of course.

It’s always good to be mindful of your hearing as you get older, so make sure to use these tips to help improve yours.