Have you been wondering how you can lower the risk of hearing loss? There have been some studies conducted that have shown that a healthy diet can lower the risk!  In this article, we’re going to be taking a look at some of the things that you need to know about how a healthy diet can lower the risks of hearing loss. 

Why prevent hearing loss?

Your hearing health is often pushed to the side by many because it isn’t at the forefront of our minds, but that doesn’t make it any less important than other aspects of your health. We’re sure that you want to keep your hearing as good as it can be so that you don’t have to have any aids when it comes to listening any time soon. 

If you’re not willing to take the right steps and put preventative measures in place though, you’re going to lose your hearing a lot sooner. Preventing hearing loss is optional, but it’s the best thing for your health to dedicate yourself to this. 

Why does dieting impact hearing?

There is no definitive answer, but there are a few theories. One of these is that your diet is linked to lower risk of conditions that damage the arteries and veins including diabetes. Blood flow to parts of the body is extremely important in keeping you healthy, and the ears are not an exception to this rule. The inner ear is the part that detects sound, and is vulnerable to changes in oxygen levels and blood pressure.

The human body cannot make certain antioxidants and vitamins on its own, but we need them in our diet and so we have to get them from the food we consume. The more we can get, the better it is going to be for you and your hearing health. Fruits and vegetables are a pivotal part of the diets mentioned above because they provide the body with essential antioxidant vitamins and minerals. 

Which diets can help prevent hearing loss?

There are a number of diets that have been proven to help prevent hearing loss. One of these is the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH). This encourages you to eat a lot of fruit, vegetables, lean meats, fish and low-fat dairy. As well as this, you should limit the amount of salt, sugar and fat that you are eating. 

Another diet is the Alternate Mediterranean Diet (AMED) which focuses on vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, whole grains and olive oil. Ideally for this diet you should eat a lot of fish, and limit the amount of alcohol that you ingest. 

Finally, the Alternative Healthy Eating Index 2010 (AHEI-2010) encourages fruits and vegetables, while saying that you should limit sugar and salt.

There is a common theme emerging if you look at the requirements of each diet in a little bit more detail. Fruits and vegetables are good for you and your overall health because they provide vitamins and minerals that the human body needs, where high amounts of sugar are bad.

Additional ways to prevent hearing loss

There are also other ways to prevent hearing loss aside from a healthy diet. One of these is that you should always try to avoid places where there are loud noises. For example, a washing machine when going through a cycle lets off a lot of sound that you need to avoid. It is louder than you think it is, and just because it doesn’t seem so bad right now, doesn’t mean it can’t cause long-term damage to your hearing

Another example is if you are running the vacuum around your home every day, you should make sure to wear earplugs for this. The constant exposure to the loud noise isn’t any good for your hearing health. If you’ve noticed ringing in your ears after you’ve done this, this should be your warning sign that if you keep going, you’re going to experience worse hearing loss soon.

If you go to a concert at any point, make sure that you are wearing earplugs. It will drown out some of the noise, while making sure that you can still enjoy the show. It’s not always easy to do and we know that some people don’t like to wear earplugs, but your hearing health could be seriously at risk if you are someone who goes to concerts often and doesn’t do this. 

If you want to find out more about this topic, then contact Audiology Associates at 573-332-7000