As we grow older, it is common that our hearing slowly gets worse, but for some people it is certainly poorer than it should be. Hearing loss refers to the inability to hear and this can be in one ear or both, as well as partial or complete. There are many causes for losing your hearing ranging from infections to injury. All kinds of deafness can be irritating and hazardous, making living your normal life very difficult. Simple things such as communicating with people and crossing the road can become almost impossible. Thankfully, depending on how severe your condition is, there are solutions which can improve your hearing loss.
The 10 Best Solutions for Hearing Loss
- Stay Away from Loud Noises
It may seem obvious, but being around loud noises frequently is the biggest cause of hearing loss in younger people. Ears should be protected from loud noises in places such as nightclubs, concerts and even loud restaurants, and if you really want to go to louder venues then there are high-fidelity earplugs available such as Ety Plugs that lower the sound but keep the clarity of noises such as music and speech. There are also mobile phone apps that can be downloaded to help let you know when a place is too loud, these include deciBel and dB Volume Meter.
- Invest in Good Earphones
Poor quality or ill fitting earphones do not block the sounds of the environment, which usually means you turn up the volume to hear what you are listening to. Music and programs should never be listened to at more than 60% of the total volume possible, and for no longer than an hour at a time. Invest in good quality headphones that fit and cover your ear so they block outside sounds, such as Beats, EarSkinz or Shure.
- Try Cupping the Ear
It may seem simple, but this effortless technique can often improve sounds coming in to a blocked up ear. Try pushing your ears against your head and covering then uncovering the canal to allow air inside and opening up the ear passage. If this doesn’t work, you can also try pushing the flap of the ear, or the auricle, forwards which should bring a small sound boost.
- Homeopathic Remedies
There are tens of natural homeopathic remedies which are safe to use and can cure hearing loss, or at the very least treat symptoms and slow down the effects. These remedies include using apple cider, ginger, cajeput essential oil, Pulsatilla, onion, garlic, marjoram and many more natural ingredients.
- Check Medication Side Effects
If you are taking any medication, make sure to check the side effects as some drugs can cause ringing, tinnitus or ototoxicity. Potential drugs for causing hearing loss, especially if your hearing is already impaired, include diuretics and antibiotics.
- Remove Wax
Everyone gets earwax, but a serious build-up can cause hearing problems and temporary hearing loss. Make sure a doctor confirms that the problem is caused by ear wax and get them to extract it. If it happens again, there are kits available to buy that use hydrogen peroxide to soften and drain the wax to clear the ear canal.
- Antibiotics
If your ear aches or your hearing loss is accompanied by a fever, dizziness, pain or fluid dripping from the ear, you may have an ear infection. This can be easily fixed with antibiotics prescribed by your doctor. If your hearing declines rapidly, you may have inflammation of the inner ear and need prescribed steroids to treat it.
- Ear Tubes
Recurring fluid can build up within the ear and cause hearing loss and infections. If this is the case it will either clear up on its own or you can visit a throat, ear and nose doctor to insert a tiny tube temporarily through the ear drum to drain the fluid and equalise the pressure.
- Hearing Aid
Hearing aids have come a long way and are nothing like they used to be. Now more discreet and comfortable than ever, hearing aids can be worn to amplify sounds and some even have Bluetooth so you can connect calls and play music from your phone.
- Cochlea Implant
A cochlea implant is another great choice and instead of amplifying sounds, the implant converts sounds and sends them to the brain using the auditory nerve. Though the sounds are not completely natural, you can train your brain to understand them the same so speech and noises can be understood all the time. There are a range of cochlea implants available that benefit children and adults of all ages.