Taking care of your hearing is very important! While there are some types of hearing loss that are inevitable, noise-induced hearing loss is preventable. You want to do everything you can to protect your ears because once you start to lose your hearing from exposure to loud noises, it can never be recovered. This type of hearing loss does not happen overnight, and by the time you notice it, it can often be too late for any prevention efforts.

Luckily Dr. Nikki, one of the best audiologists in Omaha, NE, has some tips that you can incorporate into your daily life that can help you to prevent any damage to your auditory system and keep your hearing levels where they should be!

1. Be wary of loud noises

This one may seem a little obvious, but it is still worth stating. Loud environments like concerts, clubs or construction sites can all reach decibels that are unsafe for hearing. In fact, the CDC states approximately 24 percent of American adults may have some form of noise-induced hearing loss and this hearing loss  is often due to loud work or even “leisure” environments! If you find loud noises are unavoidable, try and limit your exposure to them as much as possible. Another solution could be to invest in a good pair of earplugs or noise canceling headphones!

2. Give your ears time to recover

If you do happen to experience prolonged exposure to loud noises, it is important to give your ears a recovery period. This can mean taking quick rest breaks while the loud noise is happening, like walking outside of a concert for five minutes or so. It can also mean just taking a longer break when the activity is over and surround yourself with peace and quiet.

3. Stop using cotton swabs

While it has become commonplace for people to try and clean their ears with cotton swabs, this is a big mistake. People should not place anything in their ear canal large or small, ever. The ear is self-cleaning and putting any device inside the ear canal for cleaning purposes can cause damage to your ear canal or even your eardrum. If you think you have an excess amount of wax or are concerned about anything, always feel free to contact one of the audiologists in Omaha, NE like Dr. Nikki.

4. Keep your ears dry

When you have excess moisture in your ear, it can cause bacteria to grow inside your ear canal and cause an infection! Swimmer’s ear and other infections can cause damage to your hearing ability. After you shower or go swimming, take extra care to towel dry your ears and make sure there is no moisture hiding out in there. Tilting your head to the side and lightly pulling at your earlobes or the top of your ear can be a great trick to getting rid of trapped water.

5. Be proactive with your care

Make sure that you are taking the best care of your ears by regularly getting checkups and proactively addressing any concerns. Since hearing loss can be more gradual, we recommend making regular appointments with one of the audiologists in Omaha, NE like Dr. Nikki who can perform hearing tests and let you know right away if something is amiss. She can let you know if you are exhibiting any of the warning signs associated with hearing loss and offer solutions tailored to you.

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Take control of your hearing and your health by making an appointment with Dr. Nikki, one of the best audiologists in Omaha, NE! Contact us to learn more about our services and how we can help you or a loved one.