With the beginning of a new year comes the tradition of the New Year’s resolution. Many people take this moment to make pledges to improve something in their lives for the following year. People’s resolutions can vary drastically from person to person and place to place; the practice is global and goes back thousands of years. Studies have shown that more than half of New Year’s resolutions are about seeking better health, which is why gym memberships spike in January. Unfortunately, only about 8% of resolutions are followed through with, hence the steep dropoff in gym usage in February and March. Experts agree that the best way to be successful in completing your resolutions is to be realistic and specific. To that end, we have compiled a list of potential resolutions for your hearing health that are easy to accomplish and specific enough to achieve.
Resolutions for Your Hearing Health in the New Year
Focus on Overall Better Health
When it comes to the human body, everything is connected. Focusing on your overall health by maintaining proper nutrition with wholesome foods and physical activities through exercise will support hearing health for the long term.
See An Audiologist
The hearing test is one of the most overlooked checkups that routinely get passed up. As we age, the need for a regular hearing test becomes more important, as hearing health can diminish slowly, making it hard to detect until the problem is severe. Early detection can go a long way to prevent worse problems later on.
Using Protection and Taking Precautions
Just resolving to be more aware of the dangers you are putting your hearing through can go a long way to help improve your hearing health. If you know you will be exposed to loud sounds for some time, make sure to have a pair of earplugs or noise-canceling headphones on hand to protect your hearing. It’s also a good idea to lower the volume on your devices like mp3 players and cell phones.
Quitting the Habit of Putting Things into Your Ear
As much as the idea of cleaning your ears sounds good, the reality is that you could be putting your hearing health in danger by using things like cotton swabs and other objects to remove built-up earwax. With this method, you are more likely to compact more wax than you can actually remove. If you are concerned with excessive build-up, make sure to schedule an appointment to have your ears cleaned by a medical professional.
Frequently Asked Questions
New Year's resolutions offer a focused time to commit to improving various aspects of health, including hearing. By setting realistic and specific goals related to hearing health, individuals can take actionable steps to maintain and protect their hearing throughout the year.
Overall health is interconnected with hearing health. Maintaining proper nutrition and regular physical activity supports long-term hearing function by enhancing blood flow and general bodily health, which in turn benefits the auditory system.
Regular visits to an audiologist are crucial because hearing loss can occur gradually and may go unnoticed until it becomes severe. Early detection through hearing tests allows for timely intervention, potentially preventing further deterioration and improving quality of life.
To protect your hearing from loud noises, use earplugs or noise-canceling headphones when exposed to loud environments. Additionally, lowering the volume on devices like mp3 players and smartphones reduces the risk of hearing damage over time.
Using cotton swabs or other objects to clean ears is generally unsafe as it can push earwax deeper, causing compaction and potential damage. If you experience excessive earwax buildup, it is advisable to visit a medical professional for safe ear cleaning rather than attempting self-cleaning.
Studies show that while many people make health-related New Year's resolutions, only about 8% of these resolutions are successfully followed through, leading to declines in behaviors like gym attendance after January.
To increase the chances of success, make your hearing health resolutions realistic and specific. Break goals into manageable steps, such as scheduling a hearing test, protecting ears from loud sounds, and avoiding harmful cleaning habits to create a clear, achievable plan.
