Dr. Asif Siddique

Your hearing is one of the most important function your body carries out and sometimes you realize that you are losing your sense of hearing, when it is too late to get it back. There are two main reasons for this. One of the reason is age and the other is when the inner ear's hair cells break down and do not pick up sound well.

Here are 7 ways to safeguard your hearing:

1. Try to avoid loud places: It is not advisable to go to places where you have to shout to be heard, such as in a street, a concert or a construction site.
2. Buy low noise rating equipment: The equipments in your house will make sound that you hear the most. Try to avoid these equipments by buying appliances with a low noise rating.
3. Wear hearing protection at loud places: However, it is true that it is not always possible to avoid loud noises. This is when you need to get hearing protection. Earplugs and earmuffs are two of the best ways to make sure that even when you are in a loud place, your hearing does not get affected. Earplugs and earmuffs generally reduce sound by 15 to 30 decibels, which may be crucial to make sure that later in your life, you do not lose your hearing.
4. Avoid smoke: Smoking raises your chance of hearing loss. Second hand smoke does the same thing. Therefore, try to avoid, both smoking and secondhand smoking. 
5. Remove earwax properly: Earwax cannot be removed properly using a cotton swab. Instead, you should use an irrigation kit. Remember this as otherwise; the earwax could muffle your hearing.
6. Avoid medications which reduce hearing: Certain medications increase hearing loss. Therefore, double check with your doctor to make sure your medicines will not make you lose your hearing.
7. Get your hearing tested: Finally, get your hearing tested as identifying the problem early on can help stop worsen the situation.

Related Tip: "What Causes Hearing Loss? + How to Ensure You Can Help It as You Age"