Hearing
What can be done to improve hearing? Let’s start with the basics. Hearing is one of the five senses that man has. It concerns the perception of sound by the brain. The organ that most people associate with hearing is collectively called the ear.
Many smaller organs make up the ear, but the most common areas of the auditory system are called the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear.
If you have some loss present, your doctor will tell you this after the hearing test. Generally speaking, you will know right away if there is a problem. Many people will have some limitations.
Your doctor will determine if the damage to the inner ear, if present, is severe enough that it requires a device. If not, you may be told that you need to have regular screenings every six months to a year ongoing.
Technology is always improving, and when it comes to hearing, things are no different. Research is continually taking place to improve a person’s ability to hear, making the sound clearer and emphasizing certain noises over others.
With improvements in the way listening assistance devices look, the technology they utilize, and increased community awareness, individuals are finding that they have an easier time with communication and interaction with others.
Community Awareness
Discussions about whether or not a person needs aid or what can be done to help a person improve his or her ability to hear are not commonplace.
More people are becoming aware that this is a problem and that there are solutions. More people than ever are going in to get their ability to hear checked and searching for the right equipment. There are now discussions about how to help people coming into public forums enjoy their time.
For example, even churches offer listening assistance devices to make sure that a person can get the most out of the message.
Wear your Hearing aids
If you have a diagnosis of hearing loss and the healthcare provider prescribed aids as a treatment, you’ll do yourself a big favor if you wear them as a recommendation.
Amplification provides the boost your ears need to send sound waves to the auditory region of the brain, where it processed as recognizable sound. Just like any other muscle in your body, the brain can atrophy when those processes become injured or impaired.
Your hearing isn’t the only part of your body that benefits when you wear your hearing aid: Overall general health improves, too.
Research indicates individuals who wear aids are less fatigued and more able to concentrate than individuals with an untreated hearing loss.
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Take a Walk
Exercise is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your overall health, and also for improve hearing. Is it any surprise it’s good for your health, health professionals believe exercise increases the blood flow to the ear.
Proper blood flow is essential to the health of the tiny hair cells in the inner ear which are responsible for translating the sound your ears collect into electrical impulses for your brain to decipher. These hair cells do not regenerate, so our suffers when they die or are damaged.
Stop Smoking
Medical professionals believe the nicotine and carbon monoxide in cigarettes tighten your blood vessels, effectively starving your inner ear of the oxygen it needs to keep hair cells in the cochlea healthy.
Nicotine can also affect the neurotransmitters in the auditory nerve, preventing them from correctly processing sound.
Schedule a Hearing Evaluation
The best way to improve your hearing health is to establish a relationship with a hearing healthcare professional you trust. This professional can administer a baseline hearing evaluation to determine the current health of your hearing and monitor it as you grow older.
If your family physician can’t recommend someone to care for your hearing, you can find a trusted hearing clinic in Healthy Hearing’s online directory. Then, make the phone call. The 60 seconds you spend scheduling a hearing evaluation may be the quickest, healthiest step you take toward improving your health.
Mental health can suffer if you don’t treat hearing loss, especially if you’ve been isolating yourself from social gatherings because you can’t hear well. Researchers have found a strong correlation between hearing loss among adults.
Other study results indicate relationships between untreated hearing loss and increased anger, anxiety, and social isolation.