Your favourite song, the sweet sounds of birds singing, the calming sounds of the ocean—there are so many beautiful sounds that make life special. This is why it’s important to do as much as possible to keep our hearing in tip-top shape as we age. Although there’s no definitive way to increase your hearing power naturally, there are certainly ways to maintain your hearing and prevent hearing loss leading up to your elderly years.
In this article, we’ll discuss simple, everyday tips for keeping your ears healthy and improving and maintaining your hearing in old age.
Tips For Keeping Your Ears Healthy and Happy as You Age
In Australia, hearing loss affects 1 in 6 people, with aging being the most common risk factor. Most people will experience some type of hearing loss or changes in their hearing as they age. However, it’s important to understand that the extent of these changes can vary, and that there are things that you can do to reduce your risk of accelerating hearing loss, manage your current hearing health, and prevent further deterioration.
Use Hearing Protection
Repeated and prolonged exposure to loud noise is a leading cause of hearing loss, yet many people don’t think about it until it’s too late. Whether at a concert, a sports game, or even just mowing the lawn, experts say that constant exposure to high noise levels can take a toll on your hearing over time. Whether or not you are already experiencing hearing loss, using high-quality ear protection—like earplugs, earmuffs, or noise-canceling headphones—is always a good idea to maintain your hearing power.
Give Your Ears A Break
Once you’ve been exposed to prolonged loud noise, such as when using power tools or listening to music, it’s important to give your ears a break. Whether that means taking yourself to a quiet space, popping on some noise-cancelling headphones, or turning the music off for a little while, give your ears time to recover and relax—you’ll thank us later.
Practice Safe Listening in Everyday Life
Practicing safe listening during everyday life is an easy yet effective way to protect and maintain your hearing as you age. We’ve come up with some simple tips to help you preserve your hearing:
- If you’re listening to music or watching TV, keep the volume at no more than 60% of the maximum.
- Invest in a pair of well-fitting, high-quality noise-cancelling headphones or earbuds if you’re regularly exposed to loud environments.
- Take breaks between long periods of exposure to loud noise. This means taking regular breaks when listening to music, watching TV, or even mowing the lawn.
- Keep in mind that the louder the noise, the less time you can be exposed to it before it causes damage.
Practice Good Ear Health
Practicing healthy ear hygiene is one of the most important things you can do to protect your hearing power as you age.
- Clean your ears gently! Use a damp cloth to wipe the outer part of your ear, but avoid inserting anything into the ear canal.
- Don’t put anything smaller than your elbow in your ears. Yes, we mean no Q-Tips, fingers, or hair pins. These can cause scratches in our ear canals and push wax further into the ears—and these are things we definitely don’t want!
- See a professional if you have a lot of wax in your ears! You don’t want to risk damaging your ear or disrupting its natural cleaning process. A professional can safely remove excess wax and keep your ears healthy.
Attend Routine Ear Examinations
Similar to attending regular health checkups with your GP or specialist, staying up to date and consistent with your hearing health is just as important. Ear Science Institute Australia recommends annual hearing checks for individuals over the age of 60 to detect and address any changes early and ensure the best possible hearing health as you age.
Maintain a Healthy, Active Lifestyle
While many studies focus on the general health benefits of exercising and staying fit, fewer examine its impact on hearing sensitivity. However, recent research does indicate a positive link between cardiovascular exercise and hearing power. So, it’s reasonable to say that maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle is important at any age, but particularly as you age and to maintain your hearing.
Fostering Good Health at The Village Retirement Group
At The Village Retirement Group, our entire team is committed to ensuring the health, happiness, and overall quality of life of each of our residents. That’s why we offer a range of wellness programs and fitness classes to keep our residents active, engaged, and feeling their very best, both physically and mentally.
Residents at each of The Village Retirement Group’s communities can also access a range of personalised homecare services and on-site medical, nursing, and allied health professionals to support their individual health needs and enhance their overall well-being.
