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Hearing loss is something we associate with advancing age, but it increasingly affects younger people as well.
An analysis published this year in the journal BMJ Global Health found that worldwide more than one billion adolescents and young adults are at risk of hearing loss due to the use of phones or headphones and exposure to loud noise at concerts.
While hearing loss cannot be reversed, recent research has discovered ways to improve hearing sensitivity and prevent further decline.
Sing in the shower
A crucial step is to improve speech perception in noise. This is the ability to identify words when there is background noise, such as other people talking; A problem with speech perception in noise is often the first sign of hearing loss.
It is believed that more than one billion teenagers and young people are at risk of hearing loss due to the use of their phones and headphones.
Singing has been shown to help because “it improves our ability to detect subtle differences in pitch and timing or the recognition and prediction of melodies, and these skills are also important for speech recognition, particularly in noisy environments,” says Doris-Eva Bamiou. , professor of neuroaudiology. at University College London.
A 2019 study in the journal Frontiers of Neuroscience, with more than 50 people ages 54 to 79, found that those who participated in weekly two-hour group choral sessions for ten weeks experienced a 10 to 20 percent improvement in speech intelligibility compared to a control group that did nothing.
And it doesn’t have to be in a choir: singing to yourself in the car or in the shower can help, as it “involves producing and tracking speech in a rhythm,” says Professor Bamiou.
“Rhythm acts as a scaffold for the brain,” he says, “and this helps skills like speech perception in noise.”
Musical training also improves brain function and this, in turn, appears to lead to larger areas within the auditory cortex, the area of the brain that decodes sound, he adds.
Strive to listen
If you don’t use your auditory cortex, it can become lazy, so exercise it by listening to something carefully. “There is evidence that passively listening to a story, such as an audiobook, could improve speech perception,” says Professor Bamiou.
Michael Marchant, audiologist and head of professional services at Hidden Hearing, adds: ‘Another good exercise is to play a piece of music and try to isolate the different instruments being played or the words being sung, rather than passively listening.
“You can even try it from another room or play it on mute so your ears have to strain to hear it.”
It is necessary to perform the training consistently several times a week and for several weeks to obtain benefits, adds Professor Bamiou.
Exercise regularly
Cardio exercise promotes healthy blood flow to the inner ear, which is crucial for healthy hearing.
In fact, regular exercise can slow age-related hearing loss, a 2016 study in mice reported in the Journal of Neuroscience.
“The inner ear is a network of small blood vessels that depend on oxygen and nutrients for good blood flow,” says Michael Marchant.
‘It need not be vigorous; Anything that gets your heart rate up will do, such as brisk walking. “Not only does it protect against hearing loss, but it can also help prevent further deterioration if you already have it.”
Stop multitasking
“We are more likely to be able to listen well if we are not trying to do other things at the same time, since our attention is a finite resource,” says Professor Bamiou. ‘When we are present in the moment and are not unconsciously concerned about hearing poorly, we listen better. “So mindfulness might help.”
Eat through your ears
One large study, the Hearing Conservation Study, followed 71,000 women ages 27 to 44 for two decades.
It found that those whose dietary patterns most resembled the AMED (Alternative Mediterranean Diet Score) or DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) approaches had about a 30 percent lower risk of hearing loss than women whose diets looked less similar. them.
The DASH diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy, with whole grains, fish, nuts and poultry, with little red meat or sugar.
One way to improve hearing sensitivity is to increase speech-in-noise perception, which is the ability to identify words when there is background noise.
The AMED diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts and olive oil and lower consumption of animal products and saturated fats.
Researchers said these dietary approaches help reduce cholesterol levels, blood pressure and inflammation.
“High cholesterol and high blood pressure can damage blood vessels and reduce the supply of blood and oxygen to the cochlea (the fluid-filled area of the inner ear that plays a vital role in hearing),” says lead researcher, Professor Sharon Curhan, physician and epidemiologist at Mass General Brigham in the US.
“Lower cholesterol and healthy blood pressure can help preserve healthy vascular function and ensure blood and oxygen delivery to hearing structures,” he told Good Health.
“As for inflammation, too much can directly damage the cells responsible for hearing and reduce blood flow to the cochlea.”
Reduce blood sugar levels.
Hearing loss is twice as common in people who have diabetes, and those with prediabetes (where blood sugar levels are higher than normal) have a 30 percent higher rate of hearing loss.
“Research is being done on the exact mechanisms, but it is known that diabetes causes microangiopathy (damage to the smallest blood vessels) in the ear and alters the chemical state of fluids in the inner ear,” says Kathy Dowd, audiologist and director. of the Audiology Project, which raises awareness about the link between diabetes and hearing loss.
“It is also known that high blood sugar levels in diabetes can damage the protective covering surrounding a nerve that carries auditory and vestibular (i.e. balance system) signals to the brain.”
Diabetes microangiopathy also occurs in the brain, which can affect cognition and processing of what you hear.
“People with diabetes should keep their blood sugar and blood pressure as close to normal as possible to avoid further decline,” says Kathy Dowd.
get checked
Lastly, have your hearing checked. “If we catch problems early, we have a much better chance of preserving what’s left and preventing the cognitive decline associated with hearing loss,” says Michael Marchant.
“It’s a matter of using it or losing it: the brain has resources and if an area is not used, it can start to redirect itself and use it for other purposes.
“People over 50 should get tested once a year, but sooner if they have any symptoms.”
