Have you ever wondered, “Are there ways to improve your hearing naturally?” Simply put, yes! There are several ways you can improve your hearing naturally on your own with very little effort. Continue reading for a few simple ways to improve your hearing naturally.
Clean Your Ears Regularly to Improve Your Hearing Naturally
Sometimes mild hearing loss stems from a simple buildup of earwax. Removing it can, of course, resolve this. But don’t just swipe at it with a cotton swab; you may do more damage than you intend.
The gentlest ways to clean your outer ear canal and waxy buildups is to soften the earwax to the point where you can easily remove it. You can use warm salt water solution, warm olive oil, or even hydrogen peroxide.
Simply turn your ear up and put a few drops of your chosen solution into your ear. You’ll want to keep your ear toward the sky for a few minutes to effectively loosen the wax before you turn your ear down to drain. Some specialists may even recommend doing this overnight to address larger buildups.
Doing this thoroughly and frequently is the best way to keep earwax from pulling dust or bacteria into your ears and dampening your hearing. It’s a good hygienic practice to clean your ears.
Improve Your Diet, Improve Your Hearing Naturally
There are foods you can start eating more of that will improve overall health as well as promote ear function. These can include:
- Nuts and seeds
- Cold-water fish (such as salmon or trout)
- Whole grains
And, of course, virtually all fruits and vegetables contain vitamins and nutrients that are great for hearing health. Those rich in antioxidants (such as blueberries) are especially beneficial, as they help neutralize oxygen radicals that can build up throughout the body and cause damage, which can certainly affect the ears.
Natural B vitamin supplements can also help improve hearing over time —, since B vitamins promote blood circulation to the ears by helping expand small blood vessels, improve nerve function, and stave off age-related decline in ear function.
Watch Out for These Foods!
Additionally, there are foods that can hinder ear functionality and decrease ear health. Naturally, you’ll want to avoid these foods:
- Foods high in saturated animal fat or cholesterol (which can clog your arteries, which can dampen ear function)
- Foods with high sodium or salt levels (which can cause excess fluid retention in your ears)
- Foods high in mercury or other heavy metals (which are toxic to nerves, and especially dangerous to the small inner ear nerves)
Physical Exercises for Improved Hearing Health
Physical exercise isn’t just good for your heart health, it’s good for your ear health. Daily walks or jogs can do wonders for your blood circulation, which can dramatically improve auditory function. Anything that gets your heart rate up for a short period can be highly beneficial. This can include gardening or housework as well, which is both healthy and productive!
Strike a Pose to Improve Your Hearing Naturally
Yoga is particularly helpful in improving your hearing. Certain yoga poses like cobra pose, tree pose, triangle pose or lotus pose – whatever stretches your spine and shoulders – can help your blood circulate from top to bottom and bottom to top, which is very good for your ears.
Yoga has also been shown to help with tinnitus. Whatever level of yoga – beginner or guru – your ears will thank you for practicing on a regular basis.
Mental Exercises for Long-Term Hearing Improvement
In addition to physical exercises, mental exercises and focus can have a profound effect on your hearing, especially as you age. Keeping your brain active and healthy helps the auditory function portion of your brain healthy as well, which keeps your hearing clearer, and keeps your cognitive function better able to process what you hear, which could help reduce the development of dementia.
Puzzles Can Help Hearing & Mental Acuity
Puzzles are great exercise for your brain, especially crossword puzzles. Research has shown that there are clear links between hearing loss and negative mental conditions like depression and anxiety. Puzzles help reduce anxiety levels and ward off depression, and this in turn helps defend against hearing loss that goes with them.
Can Meditation Help Improve Hearing Naturally?
Meditation is also highly beneficial. Studies show that daily meditation can have benefits in blood circulation and oxygenation, which is good for your ears as well as your brain. Meditation also helps focus on surrounding sounds, and practicing focus is an excellent exercise for brain health.
Focusing on sounds, particularly with your eyes closed, and identifying as well as locating the sounds in the space around you is a great way to promote overall brain health as well as hearing processing. If there are conversations happening nearby or if TV is playing, you can repeat them, which stimulates the oral portion of your brain as well, which can, again, help improve your hearing.
Contact North Shore Hearing P.C. Today
So, is it possible to improve your hearing naturally, on your own? Yes! Should you still see a hearing specialist? Of course! Contact North Shore Hearing today for a free hearing screening and consultation about ways we can help improve your hearing and the way you experience the world.
