Hearing is one of our most important abilities, as it enables us to communicate, recognise sounds and voices, perceive other people’s emotions and, as a result,
, to recognise dangers in good time, or simply to enjoy entertainment, such as listening to music.
Hearing also plays a vital role in children’s language development. Young children learn a vast number of words, particularly in their early years.
Without the ability to hear, life can therefore be considerably more difficult. That is why it is so important to keep our hearing healthy. Below, we have summarised a few tips for healthy hearing for you.
Key Takeaways
Hearing loss can have far-reaching consequences for those affected and, in some cases, can change their entire lives. It presents them with new challenges, particularly in terms of communication, and can lead to both physical and psychological problems.
In addition to impaired hearing, dizziness and balance problems can occur, and in the worst cases, hearing loss itself can be a consequence.
The psychological consequences, meanwhile, include loneliness and social isolation, stress and feeling overwhelmed, as well as anxiety and depression. You can find
out more about the topic of “consequences of hearing loss” in our article.
8 tips for healthy hearing
1. Avoid noise:
Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as it sounds. Noise is present in every aspect of daily life, from road traffic and the noise from the building site next door to the disco - because yes, even loud music can be classified as noise if it exceeds 80 decibels. So try to avoid these sources of noise as much as possible and make sure you take plenty of breaks. And if you like listening to music through headphones or in-ear earphones, you should set the volume to a reasonable level so as not to damage your hearing. Here too, 80 decibels is considered the upper limit. Furthermore, the volume on your headphones should not exceed 60 per cent. Your hearing health will thank you for it.
2. Hearing protection:
If noise cannot be avoided, it is strongly recommended that you wear hearing protection, as prolonged exposure to noise, whether at work or during leisure time - for example, when listening to loud music - can cause irreparable damage to your hearing. At higher volume levels, i.e. from around 80 decibels upwards, it is therefore best to use suitable hearing protection. These include, for example, earplugs, earmuffs or noise-cancelling headphones. Make sure the hearing protection fits well, does not slip and does not pinch or rub, so that it can be worn even during prolonged periods of noise.
3. Earplugs:
Hearing protection does not only mean protection against noise, but also against other external influences such as water, dirt or dust. That is why there is now a wide range of special earplugs available for various purposes and individual requirements. They can prevent water from entering the ear, for example whilst bathing or swimming, as well as dust or dirt, for example at work, outdoors, in dusty environments, on the beach, etc.
4. Nutrition for hearing:
It is no secret that a balanced and healthy diet offers many health benefits. Incidentally, this also applies to hearing health. For example, it has been found that consuming folic acid can reduce the risk of hearing loss. This is found in green vegetables, such as spinach and lettuce, pulses and nuts, tomatoes, oranges, wholemeal products and eggs, amongst other things.
5. Ear canal care and cleaning:
Proper care and cleaning of the ear canal is also particularly important for hearing health. Although our ears naturally clean themselves of dirt and bacteria with the help of earwax, the right care measures can help prevent infections. These include, for example, gently cleaning the ears with a damp cloth, drying the ears after swimming or showering, and cleaning headphones and hearing aids. However, the use of cotton buds should be avoided, as they often simply push dirt further into the ear.
6. Regular hearing tests
Our hearing ability declines over the course of our lives. This is due to natural changes in the ear, such as the wear and tear of hair cells in the inner ear. In addition to age-related hearing loss, however, noise, injuries and ear conditions can also lead to hearing problems or even hearing loss. Regular hearing tests are important to detect this in good time and possibly even prevent it. You can have these carried out, for example, by your ENT specialist or an audiologist. People aged 50 and over are advised to have a hearing test once a year as part of hearing care. If you notice any hearing problems, regardless of your age, a hearing test is also advisable. You can also
get an interesting initial impression of your hearing with our free online hearing test.
7. Hearing training
As in many areas of life, the same applies to hearing: practice makes perfect. Targeted hearing training can therefore help to improve your hearing and prevent hearing problems or even hearing loss.
So why not incorporate a few regular listening exercises into your daily routine, ranging from conscious music listening to actively perceiving and distinguishing specific sounds, right through to directional hearing. Hearing training is also available under professional guidance, for example as part of audiotherapy.
8. Avoid stress
Most people know how unhealthy stress can be and that too much stress can have a negative impact on our bodies. But did you also know that hearing loss and mental health can be closely linked? High stress levels can lead to sudden hearing loss and be the cause of hearing problems and symptoms such as tinnitus. So try to make sure you relax in your daily life. Meditation, yoga or sport, as well as taking conscious breaks, could help.