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Changes in hearing can be subtle at first. Find out if hearing loss may be interfering with your life.
6 ways to naturally preserve your hearing
It’s not too late to protect your ears from damage that could lead to hearing loss. Learn the simple steps to start taking now.
Our ears are amazing. They’re made up of many different parts, all of which play a role in how we hear and understand sounds.
Sounds travel through the outer ear and ear canal until they reach the eardrum. The sound waves trigger vibrations that activate the nerves in the ear. These nerves then send electrical signals to the brain. In turn, the brain interprets those signals so you can “hear.”1, 2
But in order to hear well, all these parts have to work together. And as people age, the parts of the ear — the eardrum, the nerves leading to the brain — sometimes get damaged. When that happens, you may begin to have trouble hearing.
“I always tell patients that their hearing loss is a story. There is no one single incident that shows up in their hearing loss exclusively,” says Rachel Sours, a hearing aid specialist at Willoughby Hearing in North Plains, Oregon. “Every infection, medication, loud noise — all contribute to that cumulative effect on their hearing.”
Most people will have some degree of hearing loss as they age. “Hearing loss doesn’t heal itself,” says Sours. But you may be able to maintain the hearing you have or slow down its decline, she adds.
Some of these strategies are as simple as buying a pair of earplugs. Others require a few tweaks to your daily life. Read on for healthy-hearing habits that might help you safeguard your ears from (further) damage.
Healthy habit #1: Protect your ears from loud noises
Loud noise is bad for your ears. Over time, loud sounds can damage the nerves in your inner ear. Once they’re damaged, they don’t send signals to your brain as well as they once did.3
Most sounds that are noisier than a vacuum cleaner, group conversation or an alarm clock may harm hearing, including:3
- Gas mower
- Leaf blower
- Blender
- Listening to music on headphones at full blast
- Rock concerts
- Jet plane takeoffs
- Sirens
- Fireworks
And even being exposed to loud sounds for short periods of time can take a toll. “The number one misconception is people think, ‘I was only doing it for a minute,’” says Sours.
A good rule to follow? If the activity includes loud sounds like the ones in the above list, don’t overthink it. “Put protection on,” says Sours.
Healthy habit #2: Carry earplugs
Keeping a set of earplugs in a bag or in your pocket is a good way to protect your ears. Then be sure to pop them in in places where the sound is usually loud, such as concerts and large sporting events.
You can buy earplugs at drugstores or online. Or consider ones that are custom-made for your ears, says Sours. “They’re a very affordable option for people who are exposed to noises at work or doing hobbies or yard work,” she says.
They last longer and they’re more comfortable than the one-size-fits-all ones you get over the counter, notes Sours. You can talk to a hearing care professional about getting a pair. AARP® Hearing Solutions™ provided by UnitedHealthcare Hearing has a wide network of providers. The program also offers discounts on hearing aids and a no-cost hearing exam and consultation.
Another option: noise-cancelling earmuffs.
Heathy habit #3: If you smoke, quit
Tiny blood vessels carry oxygen-rich blood to the many parts of the ear. And that steady supply of blood is crucial for your hearing. Anything that restricts blood flow can raise the risk of hearing loss.4
One of them is smoking cigarettes. Smokers are almost twice as likely to have hearing loss as people who never smoked or quit, according to a study that followed more than 3,400 people over 30 years.5 Of course, smoking harms other parts of your body too, including your heart and blood vessels.6 If you’re still smoking, talk to your primary care provider about finding ways to stop.
Healthy habit #4: Exercise and eat right
What’s good for your heart is also good for your hearing. Aim to:6
- Get 150 minutes of moderate activity each week (that’s about 30 minutes most days of the week).
- Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
These habits may lower your risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and high blood pressure. So can getting good quality sleep and lowering stress.6
How can this help your hearing? Again, your ears need good blood flow to work well. Heart disease, high cholesterol and high blood pressure can all restrict blood flow by narrowing your arteries.4 So, lowering your risk of these conditions, or managing them if you already have them, can help your ears.
Healthy habit #5: Be careful when you clean your ears
Earwax is nature’s way of protecting your ears from dirt and infection. Normally, your ears do a good job of clearing out the wax. But sometimes it builds up.7
If that happens, don’t grab a cotton swab and dig it out. (Don’t use a paper clip either.) Push too far and you might puncture your eardrum. Or risk an infection by scratching the inside of your ear.7 And infections can also lead to hearing loss.8
A better way is to buy over-the-counter cleaning drops and put them in your ears. If that doesn’t work, gently flush your ears out with water using a bulb syringe.7
Healthy habit #6: Get a hearing test
Even if you don’t have signs of hearing loss, it’s a good idea to have a hearing exam to establish your baseline hearing. A hearing care professional, such as an audiologist or hearing care specialist, can give you a comprehensive hearing exam. An audiologist can also diagnose hearing loss.
Then get another hearing test 3 years later, recommends Sours. That way, you can stay on top of any loss and fix the problem as soon as possible.
If you already have hearing loss, even mild hearing loss, you should get your hearing tested every year, Sours advises. Signs you may have a problem hearing include trouble hearing conversations in noisy places, often needing to turn up the TV and asking people to repeat themselves.9
You can get a hearing test at any age, even in your 20s and 30s, says Sours. But it’s never too late to have your ears checked by a hearing care professional. If you’re not sure, take a preliminary online hearing test. While it may not give you official results, it might help you decide whether to get a comprehensive test.
Healthy reminder: Wear hearing aids if you need them
Finally, if you do have hearing loss, hearing aids might help. Hearing aids are electronic devices that you wear inside or behind your ear. Hearing aids can’t restore your normal hearing. But they can amplify sounds to help you hear things you’ve been missing, from conversations with friends to the sounds of birds.10
Just remember: “Hearing aids are only helping you if they’re in your ears,” says Sours. If you only wear them every once in a while, they won’t do much.
So, make your hearing aids a part of your daily life. If you are frustrated with them or find them uncomfortable, go back to your hearing care professional, advises Sours. They’ll help you find a solution so you can wear them every day.
Your overall health affects your hearing. But hearing well also affects your physical and mental health. So, stay on top of both, and practice common-sense habits that can protect them.
Ready to request a hearing exam and consultation? AARP Hearing Solutions has a wide network of hearing care professionals. Find a provider.
Sources
- How do we hear? National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Last updated March 16, 2022.
- Parts of the ear Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last reviewed August 7, 2023.
- Loud noise dangers American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Accessed August 12, 2024.
- Heart disease and hearing loss American Academy of Audiology. Accessed August 12. 2024.
- Association of cigarette smoking patterns over 30 years with audiometric hearing impairment and speech-in-noise perception: The atherosclerosis risk in communities study JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. January 27, 2022.
- Strategies to prevent heart disease Mayo Clinic. August 17, 2023.
- Earwax removal: The best (and safest) way to clear clogged ears Cleveland Clinic. November 29, 2021.
- Hearing loss: a common problem for older adults National Institute on Aging. Last reviewed January 19, 2023.
- Six signs of hearing loss National Institute on Aging. Last updated November 30, 2023.
- Hearing aids National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Last updated October 11, 2022.
Information is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for the advice of a licensed medical provider. Consult your provider prior to making changes to your lifestyle or health care routine.
AARP Hearing Solutions is available to all AARP members and does not require a health insurance plan from UnitedHealthcare. The AARP hearing program discount cannot be combined with any other discounts, promotions, coupons or hearing aid benefit plans unless noted herein. Products or services that are reimbursable by federal programs including Medicare and Medicaid are not available on a discounted or complimentary basis. AARP commercial member benefits are provided by third parties, not by AARP or its affiliates. Providers pay a royalty fee to AARP for the use of its intellectual property. These fees are used for the general purposes of AARP. Some provider offers are subject to change and may have restrictions. Please contact the provider directly for details. UnitedHealthcare Hearing is provided through UnitedHealthcare, offered to existing members of certain products underwritten or provided by UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or its affiliates to provide specific hearing aid discounts. This is not an insurance nor managed care product, and fees or charges for services in excess of those defined in program materials are the member's responsibility. UnitedHealthcare does not endorse nor guarantee hearing aid products/services available through the hearing program. This program may not be available in all states or for all group sizes. Components subject to change.
Network size varies by market.
The online hearing test is not intended to act as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Talk with your healthcare provider with any question about a medical condition.
