How to Improve Hearing Through Diet & Lifestyle
Hearing aids are common solutions, but they’re best used alongside more holistic strategies to preserve your hearing. When working with your audiologist, it’s important to consider every part of how to improve your hearing naturally. Your diet and lifestyle choices can impact your long-term hearing health. How do these factors influence your auditory abilities? And what are some practical changes you can make to safeguard your hearing?
From Plate to Ear: Dietary Adjustments
Studies have shown that a healthy diet leads to lower risks of experiencing hearing impairment. While there aren’t foods that improve hearing directly, eating well protects your ability to hear. Vitamin A may decrease the likelihood of auditory impairment by half while also bolstering your immune system. Add some dark leafy greens (like spinach) and orange fruits and vegetables (such as apricots, and pumpkin) to your shopping cart.
Antioxidants also lower your risk by combating harmful free radicals that can build up in the body’s tissues. These free radicals have the potential to damage the nerves in the ears. Make sure you choose nutrient-rich foods like spinach, blueberries, broccoli, beans, and almonds. Eating fish – like tuna, salmon, and sardines – that are high in omega-3 fatty acids can help keep your heart healthy and reduce inflammation. Omega 3s are good for your blood vessels over your body, including those in your ears, where they support clear sound transmission. If you’re not a fan of fish, you can consider taking Omega 3 supplements.
Manganese is crucial for supporting the tissues in your ears and maintaining brain health. It also helps protect your ears against damage caused by noise. Nuts, brown rice, tofu, kale, and eggplant are all good sources of manganese. You can easily add these to your diet to improve your hearing. If you have ringing in your ears, a daily zinc supplement might help relieve these symptoms. Natural sources of zinc include things like chocolate, eggs, pumpkin seeds, and seafood.
Ear-Friendly Living: Lifestyle Changes
Lifestyle modifications also play a key role in protecting your auditory system. The most straightforward approach is undoubtedly reducing the noise levels in your environment. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), exposure to loud noises has caused impairment in around 26 million Americans. If you can’t control the noise levels, good hearing protection is crucial.
Quitting smoking is a must. Experts suggest that the nicotine and carbon monoxide found in cigarettes can narrow blood vessels. This causes less oxygen to reach the inner ear, which compromises the health of cochlear hair cells. Another crucial lifestyle adjustment is regular physical activity, which boosts blood circulation. The delicate hair cells in your inner ear, which convert sound waves into electrical signals for your brain, rely on good blood flow.
Establishing a rapport with a trusted healthcare professional is key to improving your auditory well-being. A specialist can evaluate your current status and monitor any potential decline over time. Assessments are among the most effective ways to pick up changes so you can take swift action. Once you’ve been diagnosed, it’s important to wear your hearing aids consistently to experience the most benefit.
Preserve Your Hearing With Us
Learning how to improve your hearing abilities enables you to make proactive changes to support your auditory system. It’s crucial to address any changes you might notice promptly. If you suspect an issue, schedule a hearing test with at our hearing improvement center. Our experienced team is ready to help you hear better and guide you on your ear wellness journey. Get in touch with our team to safeguard your hearing for the future.