Many of you may be familiar with the term “life hack.” These are the little things you can do to make your life a bit easier, but did you know there are hacks for your hearing as well? These hearing hacks can help you if you find yourself saying “what?” often, or you just want to preserve your ability to hear. These helpful hacks are excellent for those who are starting to experience trouble with their hearing. Don’t believe you fall into this category? According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 37.4 million American adults over the age of 18 have reported some degree of trouble with their hearing. Even if you don’t fall into this category, you very well could in the future, so proactive planning and treatment is necessary.
No matter the severity, hearing loss of any degree can negatively affect your life and your well-being. Preserve your hearing for the long haul by following these simple hearing hacks.
- Keeping your back up against a wall will help you focus on the speaker in front of you, and not on the noise coming from behind. This technique is especially helpful in a crowded and noisy public venue.
- Have face to face conversations. Hearing what someone is saying is often not enough. Having a visual of someone speaking is an excellent way to understand more of the conversation.
- Remember, two ears are better than one, so if you are having issues understanding phone calls on your cell phone put them on speaker or put in headphones. By being hands free, you free up both of your ears to listen.
- While two is better than one, sometimes favoring one ear can help you. Did you know that your right ear will help you hear speech better, and your left ear can help you better focus on music playing?
- When listening through headphones, practice the 60/60 rule. This means the volume is no higher than 60 percent of the maximum volume and you listen for no more than 60 minutes at a time.
- Use the inverse square law to safeguard your hearing. This law of physics states that the intensity of sound declines by 75 percent when you double your distance from the source of sound.
- Spending time in a noisy environment? Wear ear plugs to protect your hearing since prolonged exposure to sounds louder than 85 decibels can cause permanent hearing loss. So make sure to plug those ears to protect against injury.
- Check for dirty ears. Having impacted earwax can cause you to have hearing loss up to 40 decibels, and this condition is not uncommon. If you are having issues keeping your ears clean, consult with your doctor.