How to Improve Your Hearing

Medical Treatments

Visit a doctor if you’ve noticed difficulty hearing. If hearing loss is interfering with your everyday life, then it’s time to see your doctor. Make an appointment and let the doctor examine your ears to determine what’s causing it and find the right solutions. The exam will probably include an inspection of your ears and a simple hearing test. Some doctors have specialized equipment that can do a more thorough test of your eardrums. The doctor may refer you to an ear specialist (otolaryngologist) or audiologist for further testing. This can pin down exactly what’s causing your hear loss and how to fix it. While you need an exam for any hearing loss, a sudden loss of hearing, particularly in one ear, could be a serious medical problem. Don’t hesitate to see your doctor in this case.

Let your doctor remove built-up earwax if your ear canal is blocked. In some cases, hearing loss is from a simple blockage caused by earwax. Your doctor will spot this right away when they examine your ears. Luckily, it’s a very easy fix. The doctor will remove the earwax with a small tool or vacuum. Once your ear canal is cleared, your hearing should improve. The doctor might also send you home with ear drops that will dissolve wax buildup. Use these exactly how your doctor tells you to. Don’t try to dig earwax out yourself at home. You could damage your eardrum and make the hearing loss permanent.

Use a hearing aid if your inner ear is damaged. Hearing loss from damage or old age isn’t reversible naturally. Luckily, there are devices that can help you regain your hearing. The most common is a hearing aid. This small device fits into your ear and amplifies sound so you can hear better. It might not fully restore your hearing, but it can make your everyday life much easier. There are several types of hearing aids, ranging from types that rest in your ear opening to larger types that wrap around your ear. There are also more powerful bone-anchored hearing aids. Your doctor will counsel you on the best type for you. There are also over-the-counter hearing aids that might help with mild hearing loss. These won’t work as well as prescription types and aren’t widely available yet, but they might work for you. Talk with your doctor about the benefits of these devices.

Consider getting a cochlear implant if hearing aids don’t help. Sometimes, your inner ear is damaged enough that sound can’t reach your auditory nerve. This is tough to deal with, but there's good news. Cochlear implants help people with this problem all the time. This device bypasses your ear canal and brings sound directly to the auditory nerve. A surgeon will install the implant with a minor surgical procedure, and it should improve your hearing if the auditory nerve is healthy. The outer part of a cochlear implant is removable like a hearing aid, so you can put it on and take it off. You cannot remove the internal part of the implant, however.

Have minor surgery to correct abnormalities in your ear canal. In some cases, the bones or structures in your ear don’t form properly, causing hearing loss. A minor surgical procedure could correct this issue and improve your hearing. An ear specialist will counsel you on whether or not you need surgery and talk you through the process. You may also need surgery if you have persistent ear infections. Fluid might not be draining properly from your ear.

Tell your doctor if you experience hearing loss after taking medication. Some medications, known as ototoxic medicines, could potentially cause hearing loss. Over 200 medications could fall into this category, and there’s no reliable way to determine who will experience this side effect. The best thing to do is monitor your hearing and tell your doctor immediately if you notice any problems after taking medication. Some medications that can cause temporary hearing loss include salicylate pain relievers like aspirin, quinine, and some diuretics. Other medications could cause permanent damage if you take them long enough. These include some antibiotics like gentamicin and chemotherapy drugs. Hearing loss is much more common if you take high doses or multiple types of ototoxic medicines at the same time. Always take your medication as directed to reduce the chance.

Natural Hearing Improvement

Try sound location exercises to sharpen your hearing. You might be able to maintain or improve your hearing with practice. Have someone hide an item that makes a repetitive sound, like an alarm. Then make the environment noisy, like by turning on the TV. Try to lock on to the sound and follow it to find the object. Doing this repeatedly can improve your ability to focus on specific sounds. For a similar hearing exercise, try listening to someone read out loud in a noisy environment. Block out the distracting noise and try to focus solely on the reading. If you already have hearing loss, then sound location exercises probably won’t help. You need a medical exam and possibly hearing aids to fix this.

Follow a healthy diet to support your ear health. Like any other body part, your ears need proper nutrition to work properly. In particular, getting enough zinc, potassium, folic acid, magnesium, vitamin D, and omega-3s help reduce inflammation in your ear canal and prevent damage to your hearing. You can get all of these nutrients from a healthy, balanced diet. Some of the healthiest foods to eat are leafy green vegetables, bananas, nuts and seeds, fish, poultry, and low-fat dairy products. You can also take dietary supplements if you aren’t getting enough nutrients from your daily diet. Talk to your doctor before you start using any supplements to make sure they’re right for you.

Exercise regularly to maintain your hearing. There is actually a connection between aerobic exercise and hearing health. As long as your ears haven’t been damaged, then regular exercise can help sharpen your hearing and maintain it into old age. For the best results, get 20-30 minutes of aerobic exercise at least 5 days per week. Aerobic exercises are activities like get your heart rate up, like running, biking, swimming, or kickboxing classes. You could also just take a daily walk. Resistance exercises like weight training are also good for your health, but they aren’t connected with improved hearing. For those benefits, you’ll need aerobic exercise.

Reduce stress to keep your mind clear. It’s possible that stress and anxiety can impact your hearing. If you regularly feel stressed, then take some steps to relax and de-stress. A clearer mind could improve your hearing. Try some relaxation exercises like meditation, yoga, or deep breathing. Even a few minutes a day could make a big difference. Doing activities you enjoy is also a great stress-reducer. Try to make time for your hobbies so you feel less overwhelmed. Remember that this won’t actually fix any damage in your ears, so you may still want hearing aids if you’ve been exposed to loud noises.

Try herbal supplements for tinnitus. Tinnitus is a constant ringing or buzzing in your ear that's usually an early stage of hearing loss. There's little evidence that natural remedies can make a big difference, but some herbal treatments could help. If you experience tinnitus, try some of these supplements after asking your doctor if they're safe for you. Ginkgo biloba. Zinc. Vitamin B.

Protecting Your Ears

Avoid loud environments as much as you can. Being around loud noises is one of the main causes for hearing loss. As much as you can, stay out of very loud environments and noisy situations. This can help maintain your hearing and prevent damage. Generally, if you’re trying to talk with someone and you have to yell to hear each other, then the environment is too loud. Sounds over 85 decibels, or roughly as loud as a motorcycle engine, can be harmful to your hearing. You can download smartphone apps to measure the current decibel levels and see if the environment is too loud.

Wear ear protection whenever you’re around loud noises. You can’t always avoid loud noises, especially if it’s part of your job. In these cases, always wear ear protection to prevent damage. Earplugs are handy and will work in most situations, but protective earmuffs block even more sound and are good for very loud noises. This is especially important if you’re using power tools or work around heavy equipment. Over long periods of time, these devices can cause major damage. This is also important for bartenders or people who work at concert venues. The music in these places is usually very loud. Keep earplugs with you for unexpected loud situations. This way, you’ll always be ready to protect your ears.

Keep the volume down when you’re using headphones. Headphones focus music right onto your eardrums, so they pose a high chance for causing hearing loss. Keep the volume under control to prevent any hearing loss. If you often have to turn the volume up to hear your music over other sounds, then try using noise-canceling headphones.

Avoid sticking things into your ears. Any objects in your ears could damage your eardrum and cause hearing loss. Don’t stick cotton swabs, tweezers, or your fingers into your ears. Your ears clean themselves, so you don’t need to dig wax out with a cotton swab. If you do have something stuck in your ear, go to the doctor or emergency room right away instead of trying to get it out yourself.

Quit smoking to prevent damage in your ears. There’s evidence that smoking could damage your hearing by reducing blood flow to your ears. If you smoke, then quit as soon as possible, and avoid starting in the first place if you don’t. Secondhand smoke is also harmful and could cause similar damage. Avoid smoky environments and don’t let anyone smoke in your home.