There are millions of people who suffer from moderate to profound hearing loss and the UN World Health Organization puts this figure at 278 million. Earlier hearing loss was associated with aging but now even small children have been found suffering from it. Hearing loss can occur if there is any block in the ear canal. The causes for this include earwax, injury, and entry of foreign bodies in the ear, tumors and growths, genetic factors, birth defects, infections, exposure to loud noises, side effects of certain medications and so on. It can be restored in most cases but if the damage to the ear is grave then it would result in permanent hear loss. Therefore it is highly essential to maintain proper ear health.
What are the symptoms of hearing loss?
The symptoms include
- Inability to hear sound clearly and distinctively
- Lip reading
- Earache and constant ringing in the ears.
Ringing ears is not a disease but a symptom and is quite common nowadays. The main cause for it is the prolonged exposure to loud noises.
Tips to maintain health ears
The following are the top 5 tips to maintain ear health.
- Consulting a doctor to find the causative factor for ringing ear is of paramount importance.
- It is best to avoid noisy environment. If you work in a noisy place, then the use of ear protector devices is recommended.
- Following a healthy diet rich in vitamins, zinc and folic acid helps in maintaining overall good health and also helps your ears. It is best to avoid food or diets that causes buzzing in your ears, therefore it would be a good idea to cut down on sugar, caffeine, tobacco, salt and artificial sweeteners.
- Cleaning your ears regularly is important, but it is recommended that this is done after consulting your doctor. The American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery recommends that people should not try to remove earwax themselves with any type of instrument, including cotton swabs, bobby pins or even twisted napkin corners. These tools push the earwax further deeper into the ear canal, which can lead to injury to the ear canal or can also perforate the eardrum, resulting in hearing loss.
- Avoid home remedies in case of any ear related problem, it would be best to consult the doctor for any ear ache or ear infection. Never ignore that buzzing sound that only you may hear, it may be a case of ears ringing.
Taking care of our ears doesn’t require too much effort, and the above mentioned tips will surely help you maintain healthy ears.
