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.