Listen Up! 7 Strategies to Prevent Hearing Break Down

In my previous blog I focused on ways you can preserve your hearing from noise pollution. Today my focus in on how your health affects your hearing.
 
The Environmental Protection Agency warns that health problems related to noise can included blood pressure, sleep disruption, stress related illnesses along with countless other adverse health issues. 
 
Here are some strategies you can start today, to help guard your hearing from future break down.
 
Control your blood sugar
 
When University of Maryland researchers compared the blood sugar levels and hearing levels of 1,644 women and men, they found that those with diabetes were 30 percent more likely to have hearing loss than those without diabetes.  High blood sugar damages tiny nerves and blood vessels in the ears – and throughout the body – giving people with diabetes one more reason to keep sugar levels healthy.
 
Snack on Pumpkin Seeds
 
In lab studies, magnesium deficiencies seem to stress cells in the ear.  A two month study of army recruits found that a little magnesium seemed to protect them from some permanent noise-related hearing loss.  Pumpkin seeds are a rich source of magnesium, and is Swiss chard, halibut, flax seeds, brown rise, and navy beans.
 
Have a glass of orange juice at breakfast
 
In a Dutch study of 728 older women and men, those who got 800 micrograms of folic acid a day had less hearing loss after three years than those who didn’t.  Split pea soup, whole-grain bread, spinach, and fortified breakfast cereals are also great sources of this important B vitamin.
 
Enjoy a glass of wine, in silence.
 
Soothe- and protect – your ears at the same time.  Some research suggests a little alcohol somehow slows age-related hearing losses.
 
Get moving
 
Exercise improves the flow of blood to every cell in your body – including the ever-so-delicate hair cells inside your ears.  But don’t listen to loud music on headphones while you walk or work out.  A Swedish study found that even at a moderate volume, exercisers with headphones had hearing loss after just 10 minutes.
 
Stop the buss of tinnitus
 
Ringing in the ears is a problem for 10 to 14 percent of older adults – and often, the head noise may sound like a squeak, a roar, or a whistle or a hiss.  Controlling your blood pressure and lowering your cholesterol can help.  So can avoiding excessive alcohol, which increases blood flow to the inner ear.  Quite “white noise” like a fan or soft radio static can help mask the annoying buzz, too.
 
Have a bowl of vegetable soup and a fruit salad topped with nuts
 
In a lab study at the University of Michigan, extra vitamin A, C, and E seemed to protect against ear damage caused by exposure to loud noises.  Skip the supplements, though.  Get extra vitamin A from sweet potatoes, carrots, and turnip greens as well as mango, papaya, and apricots.  Soak up extra E in almonds, pistachios, and wheat germ.  For Vitamin C, how about citrus, strawberries, and red peppers?
 
The 3 hearing Thieves to Avoid
 
These three habits have been shown to have particularly bad effects on your hearing.
 
Caffeine
 
Make your morning blend decaffeinated.  Caffeine can worsen tinnitus, another ear problem associated with hearing loss.
 
Excess Sodium
 
Choose low-sodium soups and frozen entrees, and rinse canned beans thoroughly.  Take the saltshaker off the table too.  There’s evidence that controlling your sodium levels can help reduce your odds for vertigo problems called Meniere’s disease, which is also linked with hearing loss.  Too many high salt foods can alter the pressure of fluids in your inner ear.
 
Cigarette smoke
 
Exposure to tobacco smoke – from your own cigarette or someone else’s – raises your odds for more severe age related hearing loss.
 
 Follow these suggestions and you are on track to preserving the good hearing that you are enjoying today!