Can a Healthy Lifestyle Still Damage Your Ears?

Grandma and grandson are cooking healthy food together in the kitchen to prevent hearing loss.

It’s not always easy to make healthy decisions. Usually our reluctance can be conquered if we remind ourselves what is good for us. But is it possible that our health routines may actually injure our ears? It happens more commonly than you would suspect.

Your Hygiene Routine

When you go out, you want others to notice how good you look, and how well you take care of yourself. Like most people, you probably put on something sharp, brush your teeth, comb your hair, and possibly, clean your ears.

With time an aggravating trickle of a small amount of earwax can build up. Earwax does need to be cleaned from time to time, in spite of the fact that it does have many imperative purposes. The method you use to take out earwax determines the potential harm.

You should stop using cotton swabs for earwax removal as they are not really the tool of choice. Cleaning out your earwax with a cotton swab can cause irreversible harm to your ears and hearing. The better choice would be to seek advice from a hearing expert for help. It’s simple and safe for them to eliminate the earwax for you.

Your Workout Habits

Part of looking good is feeling good, and what better way to do that than to stay in shape? Exercising can help get your blood flowing, relax your muscles, help you lose weight and clear your mind, all of which are great for your hearing. The problem stems from improperly performed workouts.

Physical fitness trends are moving toward high-impact workouts that test your stamina. While that may possibly help you to build your muscle, if you’re engaging in these kinds of exercises you might be stressing your body and your ears. Strenuous exercise can cause a build up of pressure in the ears. Resulting in balance and hearing troubles.

Of course, this isn’t an excuse to give up your workout! The important factor is correct workout technique. Don’t hold your breath and avoid straining when you’re at the gym. If you feel like you’ve reached your limit, stop.

Your Successful Career

A successful career can be stressful. While working hard to achieve career success is great, high strain levels can impact your health.

Many people don’t realize that besides causing impaired judgment, weight gain, and muscle pain, strain also can lead to hearing loss. Poor circulation caused by strain is actually the issue. Poor circulation means that essential parts of your body, like the delicate hairs in your ears, don’t get the supply of blood and oxygen they need. When the hairs in your ear die, they won’t grow back. Why do they matter? Your brain uses them to hear. So without them you might not hear.

But don’t believe your job has to cost you your hearing. Simple strategies for lowering strain can be used to keep the blood flowing. Taking breaks from stressful situations is a must. If you have time, read or watch something funny. Humor is a natural stress relief.

Enjoying the Arts

It’s certainly healthy for your mind to be exposed to the arts regardless of what form they come in! But different forms of art have different levels of impact on hearing.

Going to the movies or attending a live music event is louder than you may suspect. While enjoying our favorite art form we we usually don’t worry about whether it is harming our hearing. The sad truth is, it very well may be.

The solution to this one is simple. Be certain to plan for ear safeguard before attending a loud event. While you wouldn’t wear large earmuffs at an opera, you could use small discreet in-ear noise reduction devices instead.

Being prepared and informed is always the best defense. If you’re worried, you may have already experienced hearing loss from one of these activities, schedule a hearing test with a specialist. Only then will you know for certain.

The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment, schedule an appointment.