• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
BlackDoctor.org
Where Wellness & Culture Connect

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

  • Health Conditions
  • Wellness
  • Lifestyle
  • Longevity
  • Resource Centers
    • Cancer Resource Center
    • Covid Resource Center
  • Find A Doctor
  • BDO TV
Home / Longevity / Healthy Aging / Ten Ways You May Be Ruining Your Hearing

Ten Ways You May Be Ruining Your Hearing

hearing

When you think about hearing loss, do major injuries come to mind? While it’s true that very loud noises and physical damage can cause hearing loss, there are a few everyday activities that can erode your hearing a little at a time. The effects might not be noticeable immediately but over time, you’ll find it harder and harder to hear. 

1. You Use Cotton Swabs

Most people know that cotton swabs can damage your eardrums if pushed too far into the ear. What you might not realize is that even if you stick to the outer parts of the ear, you may be pushing wax back inside the canal. This compacted earwax can obstruct the canal and affect your hearing. 

2. You’re Not Diving Safely

An important aspect of diving properly is having the right equipment. As you’re descending, you need to ensure that the balance in your ears is maintained. If this doesn’t happen, you could end up damaging your eardrums. 

3. You Don’t Protect Your Ears on Airplanes

There’s no doubt that airplanes are one of the loudest modes of transportation around. If you’re flying, consider using noise-canceling earphones or headphones. In an ideal world, you’d be able to choose a seat in the plane that’s not as loud but it’s not wise to count on that option. 

You May Also Like
15 Natural Remedies for Aches and Pains

RELATED: Could Your Hearing Loss Lead to Dementia?

4. Your Diabetes Risk Is High

The body is a complex combination of systems, which means an issue in one area can affect something else that seems unrelated. When it comes to your hearing, diabetes can weaken blood vessels that are integral to your hearing. If you’re at risk for diabetes, you should get it under control quickly. 

5. You Take Certain Medications

While all medications have side effects, there are a select few that have what are known as ototoxic effects. That means they are poisonous or damaging to the ear. If you’re taking antibiotics, aspirin, blood pressure medications, or you’re on chemotherapy, talk to your doctor about alternatives. 

RELATED: How Sickle Cell Affects Hearing and Balance

You May Also Like
Bacon and other meats May Increase Your Risk for This Lung Disease

6. You’re Not Getting Enough Potassium

A balanced diet is essential to being healthy. Potassium, in particular, has been found to be important for how the middle ear converts sound to signals the brain can interpret. To make sure you’re getting the right amount of potassium, you should include bananas, beets, spinach, potatoes, and oranges in your diet. 

7. You Don’t Use Headphones Properly

Many people use headphones to block out external noise. The issue with that is you might not be using the right ones. If you’re constantly increasing the volume of what you’re listening to then you’re likely to damage your ears. What you should be doing instead is using noise-

Continue Reading

The Latest In Healthy Aging

antioxidants

Adding These Foods to Your Diet Could Keep Dementia Away

A diet rich in the antioxidants that leafy, green vegetables and colorful fruit deliver is good for your body, and now new research shows it also protects your brain. In the study, people whose blood contained the highest amounts of three key read more about Adding These Foods to Your Diet Could Keep Dementia Away
episodic memory

Getting Active Can Keep Those ‘Senior Moments’ at Bay

Want to preserve all those precious memories, including your first kiss and how you felt the first time you got behind the wheel of a car? If you do, start moving: New research shows that when sedentary older adults started read more about Getting Active Can Keep Those ‘Senior Moments’ at Bay
aging backwards

This Key Ingredient is the Secret to Aging Backwards

With life, it may seem that nothing is guaranteed, and to some extent that is true. Though not everything is a guarantee in this life, there are some things that can be seen as a surety depending on how you read more about This Key Ingredient is the Secret to Aging Backwards
sex life

Sex in the Senior Years: Why It’s Key to Overall Health

Lovemaking isn't just for the young — older people gain a lot of satisfaction from amorous relations as well. sex life But things get complicated as people age, and many folks let this important part of life drift away rather read more about Sex in the Senior Years: Why It’s Key to Overall Health
supplements

The Secret to Aging Backwards Starts With These 10 Supplements

As you age, your body goes through several transformations. In addition to altering how you look and feel, the aging process changes the number of nutrients your body needs. Fortunately, supplements are known to promote your intake of essential nutrients, read more about The Secret to Aging Backwards Starts With These 10 Supplements
sleep apnea

Sleep Apnea Speeds Aging, Here’s How to Reverse It

Research shows that although sleep apnea is common among Blacks, it is largely undiagnosed (nearly 95 percent of cases, were undiagnosed and untreated). Sleep apnea has an ever-growing list of health problems including heart disease, high blood pressure, and other read more about Sleep Apnea Speeds Aging, Here’s How to Reverse It

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to our newsletter

Poll

Popular Posts

  • The McGhee Sextuplets: A Family Built On LoveThe McGhee Sextuplets: A Family Built On Love
  • Top 3 Mistakes Cooking Salmon (You Should Never Make Again)Top 3 Mistakes Cooking Salmon (You Should Never Make Again)
  • Black Don’t Crack: Mother Of 3 Photo Goes ViralBlack Don't Crack: Mother Of 3 Photo Goes Viral
  • Aleisha Allen: From Actress to Speech PathologistAleisha Allen: From Actress to Speech Pathologist
  • David And Tamela Mann On 34 Years Of Marriage: “I’ve Found A Good Thing”David And Tamela Mann On 34 Years Of Marriage: "I've Found A Good Thing"

Podcast

Footer

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

BDO is the world’s largest and most comprehensive online health resource specifically targeted to African Americans. BDO understands that the uniqueness of Black culture - our heritage and our traditions - plays a role in our health. BDO gives you access to innovative new approaches to the health information you need in everyday language so you can break through the disparities, gain control and live your life to its fullest.

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Learn More About

  • Hepatitis C
  • Diabetes
  • Sickle Cell
  • Mental Health
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise With Us
  • BlackDoctor.org Advertising and Sponsorship Policy
  • Daily Vitamina
  • TBH

Copyright © 2022, BlackDoctor, Inc. All rights reserved.