Whether you’ve been diagnosed with hearing loss or not, you should be aware of the ways you can boost your hearing ability and prevent future damage. Below are three ways you can improve your hearing.
1. Wear Hearing Aids 
This may seem obvious, but not everyone follows this advice. In fact, only one in five people who could benefit from hearing aids actually wears them. Hearing aids work by amplifying sounds to a level the ears can detect, even when the sensory cells within the cochlea are damaged.
If you have diagnosed hearing loss but choose not to wear hearing aids, you’re putting your health and wellbeing at risk. Untreated hearing loss causes the brain to atrophy and reassign cognitive functions to other senses, meaning the longer you go untreated, the harder it will be for your brain to re-acclimate to hearing everyday sounds.
2. Exercise Regularly
Any doctor will tell you there is a plethora of benefits to regular exercise. One benefit you may not know about is that it can help preserve your hearing.
The inner ear is extremely sensitive and relies on a healthy flow of blood in order to function properly. If you have poor cardiovascular health, you’re at greater risk for developing hearing loss.
The American Heart Association recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least five times per week. If this seems like a lot, you’ll be happy to know that these segments can be broken up, so even going for a short walk around the block a couple times a day can improve your outcomes.
3. Quit Smoking
According to research by the University of Manchester, smokers are 28 percent more likely to develop hearing loss than non-smokers. This risk increases depending on the number of packs smoked and amount of time the person has had the habit.
Experts believe that the combination of nicotine and carbon monoxide in cigarettes tightens your blood vessels, essentially starving the inner ear of the oxygen it needs to function.
Fortunately, you start seeing benefits immediately after quitting. The American Heart Association says the lungs begin to heal right away after you stop smoking.
For more information about protecting your hearing health, contact the experts at SW Idaho ENT.