5 Habits You Didn’t Know Can Harm Your Hearing Health

Have you been trying to kick those bad habits you have but are looking for that one extra reason why you need to? Here it is. These are the 5 habits that are putting your hearing health in harms way.

1. Ignoring hearing loss. This one may seem obvious but unfortunately is the case too often. Many people go years before seeking help with their hearing loss. The prolonging of untreated hearing loss can lead to serious side effects including cognitive decline such as dementia.

2. Excessive drinking. While a glass of wine at dinner sounds nice, over doing it can lead to unrepairable damage. Most people think that it only affects your liver. However, experts believe that alcohol may interfere with the brain's ability to interpret sound. The central auditory cortex may actually shrink in people who excessively drink. This shrinkage leads to a negative impact on the nerve responsible for processing sound.

3. Smoking. It's no secret that this is a bad habit. Nicotine restricts blood flow to your ears. This can potentially damage the delicate cells inside your ears. The more you smoke the more your risk for hearing loss increases. Smoking can also damage the hearing of those around you. Studies have shown that adolescents exposed to second-hand smoking are twice as likely to experience hearing loss of low frequency sounds from those who hadn't been exposed. 

4. Vaping. The same goes for e-cigarettes that contain nicotine. Furthermore, the chemicals used in flavored e-juices are filled with toxins like propylene glycol which is proven to link to sudden hearing loss.

5. Not taking care of your teeth. You may not have expected that taking care of your teeth can actually lead to better hearing health, but it does. When your mouth is healthy it is free of bacteria that can lead to infection. When infection enters the bloodstream it can cause narrowing and swelling of the arteries. Poor circulation of blood is detrimental to your hearing health.

If you're noticing any hearing loss, don't hesitate to make an appointment with a specialist at Texan Renew Hearing Center. We can help you determine the cause and talk about solutions moving forward to improve your hearing health. Give us a call today.