Hearing loss is something that almost everyone experiences as we grow old. But nowadays it has been seen that many people that are not old enough to be experiencing hearing problems are experiencing them more and more. This is mainly due to the lifestyle choices that people are making nowadays. Sometimes, we do not even realize how our habits are going to affect our hearing in the long run and this is the reason why it is important to learn about various habits that can negatively impact our hearing. We have listed the most common of these in this blog with the help of the best ENT doctors in Pune.

1. Listening to Loud Music

It is a no-brainer. Listening to music is something that everyone does on an almost daily basis but your hearing can get damaged from excessive noise exposure. It is better if you do not use headphones or earphones for listening to music, although headphones are a better choice over earphones as they do not sit as close to the eardrums. Listening to loud music on earphones can seriously impact hearing and accelerate hearing loss by causing damage to the eardrums. But Noise-induced hearing loss from unsafe use of different audio devices can be prevented if a 60-60 magic rule is followed. The rule is simple. One should not use headphones or earphones for more than 60 minutes and at a volume of not more than 60%. It has been suggested that listening to music with headphones at 60 per cent or less volume level for 60 minutes or less a day is the cut-off level for the constant exposure to such loud sounds that can damage your sensitive eardrums.

2. Use of cotton buds

It is a common habit for people to clean their ears with earbuds or their fingers to remove the earwax. But it's not at all advised by the doctors from the best ENT hospital in Pune as the swabs can perforate the eardrums and seriously impact your hearing in the long run. By using our fingers to do so, we are putting our ears at the risk of infection as our hands are home to many germs. Ears have a self-cleaning mechanism of their own and thus do not need cleaning, but if there is a need for it and there is excessive wax in the ear, one can go to an ENT specialist and get it taken care of.

3. Smoking

Smoking is known to cause damage to the lungs and heart but it can seriously affect one's hearing as well. Smoking thickens the arteries which in turn reduces the blood flow to the ears, which ends up making the ears weak, putting one at a high risk of hearing loss. Experts from the best hospital in Thane strictly recommend their patients to refrain from smoking.

4. Improper Dental Care

Poor dental hygiene leads to bacteria entering the bloodstream which can cause infections and narrow down arteries which supply the blood to every part of the body including our ears. As such, the ears do not get enough blood supply which impacts our hearing.

5. Drinking

Drinking not only damages livers but also the nerves in the brain reducing its ability to interpret and process sounds, especially in the lower frequency region, thereby increasing the risks of partial or complete hearing loss.

6. Inactive Lifestyle

Because of the corona, there have been severe changes in people's lifestyle as it has become more sedentary. Sitting inactively for long periods of time reduces the oxygen circulation in our bodies, as there is not enough blood flow, which in turn has an impact on our hearing as well.

Following a healthy lifestyle, having a balanced diet, and taking proper care of your body reduces the chances of damage to your ears. Any habit usually takes 21 days for your mind to subconsciously become accustomed to it, thus it is important that one forms a habit that prevents hearing loss and breaks the habits that accelerate this problem. Therefore, simply incorporating these lifestyle changes can prevent a lot of damage to your ears.