Once your hearing is damaged, it is gone for good and that is why you should be very careful about your hearing and try to prevent hearing loss problems and protect your hearing health.

Use earplugs around loud noises

If you are at a place where there are lots of loud noises, you should use earplugs. Many people suffer from noise induced hearing loss because of loud environment. It may be a loud work or leisure environment. Clubs, concerts, chainsaws, lawnmowers and other such noises made which a dangerous level of sound for your ears. You will find that out if you have to shout to the person next to you to make him hear what you're saying. You can usually find a pair of earplugs which will help you to avoid such loud noises.

Turn the volume down

It is more applicable to teenagers and young adults. These people are at high risk for noise-induced hearing loss because of unsafe use of their audio devices. It is okay to enjoy music through headphones or earbuds but if it is increasing the risk of hearing loss or creation of hearing problems, then probably you should turn the volume down. You can use the 60/60 rule. You should listen with headphones at no more than 60% volume for no more than 60 minutes a day. Earbuds are especially dangerous as they sit directly next to the eardrums. Using over the year headphones is always better for you. If you are playing loud music through your headphones or earbuds, it increases the risk for noise-induced hearing loss.

Stop using cotton swabs

If you are using cotton swabs for cleaning your ears, this is something that you should immediately stop. Many people use cotton swabs to clean wax out of their ear canal. A little bit of wax in your ears is normal and it is also important. The ears are self-cleaning organs and the wax is necessary to stop dust and other harmful particles from entering the canal. When you insert cotton swabs or anything else in your ear canal, such objects can damage sensitive organs like your eardrums. If you have excess wax and you want to clean it, you can do that by cleaning around the cannibal with a damp towel but do it very gently. You can also use an earwax removal solution. If it is possible, you can always seek a professional opinion and help whenever you feel the need.

Give your ears time to relax

It is very important to give some time to your ears to relax. If you are exposed to loud noises for long duration, your ears will need some time to recover. If you are at a place with loud music or sound, you can step outside or step away for 5 to 10 minutes and let your ears rest. If you're listening to music on your earbuds or headphones, you can rest for a few minutes in between and rest your ears for some time.

Keep your ears dry

As a preventive and safe measure, you should always keep your ears dry. If it is moist, bacteria can enter and attack the ear and cause ear infection and other problems. Such infections and problems can result in damage to your ears and its sensitive organs and may result in hearing loss. You can gently towel dry your ears after swimming or bathing to keep it clean and dry.

References

1. Hearing Sense Recovery
2. Hearing, Ear Infections, and Deafness
3. THE SENSES – A PRIMER