Make looking after your hearing health a priority in 2023.
Taking care of our hearing health is a vital part of caring for our overall wellness. Start the New Year off right by creating a “to-do” list of your hearing health activities, from the steps you can take every day to the larger events you may only need to do a few times per year.
Here are a few suggestions for your hearing health to-do list to get you started:
- Scheduling your next audiologist appointment
- Keep your ears clean
- Schedule a hearing test
- Restock your hearing protection
- Find recovery time after a loud event
- Drink more water
- Add more movement to your day
Learn more about how to add these activities to your hearing health routine below!
Scheduling your next audiologist appointment
When is the last time you visited your audiologist or doctor to discuss your hearing health? Get a head start on this year’s provider visits by reaching out and scheduling your next appointment now! Many providers can have extended wait lists and are scheduling appointments months in advance, so taking care of this step early in the year can give you the peace of mind of getting an appointment when you need it.
Keep your ears clean
Keeping your ears clean is actually a pretty simple step to add to your hearing health routine! You’ll never need to insert anything into your ear in order to clean it, as the inside of our ears are self-cleaning. Instead, you can just gently wipe around the exterior of your ear with a warm, damp washcloth.
Schedule a hearing test
Just like it’s a good idea to visit your audiologist regularly, you should be having your hearing tested regularly as well! This is something you can discuss with your doctor or audiologist or schedule a time to visit a place in your community that offers hearing exams.
Restock your hearing protection
If you use disposable earplugs or other forms of hearing protection, take a few minutes to check your supply and see if you need to reorder anything. The same goes for any hearing aids or devices that require batteries — make sure you have plenty on hand to keep your devices powered up throughout the year!
Find recovery time after a loud event
This hearing health step may seem hard to stick to, but it’s important. After attending a loud event like a concert, fireworks, or sporting event, take some time to let your ears rest. Keep the volume of your music and TV low, avoid attending more loud events right away and give your ears some much-needed recovery time.
Drink more water
This hearing health tip can benefit your entire body! Staying hydrated is important to keep our inner ears working at their best. Without proper hydration levels, we can experience hearing- and ear-related symptoms such as tinnitus, loss of balance, and dizziness. So keep refilling that water bottle (or try one of these simple ways to drink more water) and enjoy the benefits of staying hydrated!
Add more movement to your day
Here’s another wellness tip that can boost our hearing health as well as other aspects of our overall wellness! Physical activity can help provide the vital blood flow and oxygen needed to maintain our ears and hearing abilities. Moving our bodies can also help improve the cellular processes that our ears use to function. All the more reason to pencil in a bike ride or walk around the block!
Want to add a few items to your hearing health to-do list for 2023? Check out these easy ear care tips! For more wellness and hearing health tips, stay tuned to the CapTel blog! We share articles on hearing loss as well as health and wellness, so there’s always a new topic to explore.
