Prevent Hearing Loss Naturally

You don’t have to succumb to the ravages of aging when it comes to healthy hearing. There are some things you could be doing right now that can enable you to decipher sounds well into senior years. If you are currently a hearing loss challenged person there are also some changes you may be able to make so your hearing doesn’t rapidly degenerate as well.

Learn how to prevent hearing loss naturally with some simple and often surprising applications to keep your auditory world running on all cylinders.

Unclog

Believe it or not, as reported by Prevention, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS),

“About 12 million people (that’s 1 in 20 adults) visit the doctor each year to have earwax removed.”

The build up of natural wax and other materials can creep up on individuals and before they know it hearing is significantly reduced. Peter Roland, MD, professor and chairman of the department of otolaryngology/head and neck surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center comments,

“We can hear with as little as 3 to 5% of the canal clear, so it may take years for enough wax to accumulate to stifle hearing,…But if water gets in—while you shower, for example—it can cause wax to swell and create a blockage.”

Using cotton swabs to clean your ears may do more damage than good as many people end up pushing the ear wax deeper and deeper without realizing it. According to WebMD, clogged ears can result in a variety of symptoms including:

• Decreased hearing
• Dizziness
• Ear pain
• Plugged or fullness sensation
• Ringing in the ear
• Itching or drainage from the ear canal

If you experience any of these or other ear related symptoms see your doctor to determine if you need an ear cleaning.

 

Watch the NSAIDS

NSAIDS are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as some aspirin or ibuprofen that if taken in high doses could result in tinnitus. Timothy C. Hain, MD, professor of neurology, otolaryngology, and physical therapy at Northwestern University describes tinnitus as “a disruptive and irritating noise in the head without an external sound source”

Overdosing consists of approximately 10 or more aspirin per day or 800 milligrams of ibuprofen three times per day. In addition to tinnitus, the ear’s protective outer hair cells are also compromised making you more vulnerable to damaging sounds that you would otherwise be able to repel. If you are experiencing ringing in the ears talk to your doctor about reducing your NSAID intake.

According to a study published in Surgical Neurology International, natural alternatives to NSAIDS include:

• White willow
• Turmeric (curcumin)
• Boswellia serrata resin (Frankincense)
• Resveratrol
• Uncaria tomentosa (cat’s claw)
• Capsaicin (chili pepper)
• Pycnogenol (maritime pine bark)
• Green tea

Needle It

Acupuncture has been shown to effectively relieve many ailments and may be applicable to hearing loss as well. It all revolves around the concept of Classical Chinese Medicine (CCM) which approaches disease and health challenging conditions through the concept of “stuck energy”. When homeostasis (optimal health) is interrupted, according to CCM it is as if one or more of our internal, free-flowing rivers becomes impeded by rocks and boulders hindering flow or qi (“chee” – life force).

Acupuncture is believed to release these “energy obstacles” reducing pain, discomfort or malfunction and bringing homeostasis back into balance. However, believing in something is not good enough when it comes to science so several studies have looked into the effectiveness of this ancient practice for hearing.

One study by Chinese researchers titled ‘Acupuncture Therapy for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss’, published in PLoS One, a peer reviewed open access journal combined acupuncture with some conventional medicine remedies as well.

It was concluded that,

“…interventions combining acupuncture with WMCT [Western medicine comprehensive treatment] had a more efficacious result in the treatment of SSHL [sensorineural hearing loss] than WMCT alone. Electroacupuncture alone might be a viable alternative to WMCT for SSHL.large-scale RCTs are warranted to confirm the current findings regarding acupuncture as an intervention for SSHL.”

Another study titled, ‘Acupuncture as a primary and independent treatment in the acute phases of sudden sensorineural hearing loss’ also by Chinese researchers, published in Medicine (Baltimore) stated how acupuncture alone may be a good enough hearing loss remedy,

“Although this article is based on self report, there are very clear trends on how patients with SSHL [sensorineural hearing loss] responded to acupuncture treatments. Acupuncture treatments may be more helpful for SSHL from the case.”

Stay on top of keeping your audible world healthy and don’t take your hearing for granted. These simple approaches to prevent hearing loss naturally can keep you ahead of the curve and stop you from saying, “WHAT?” to everyone trying to talk to you.