3 Ways to Improve Your Hearing Right Now
As the weather cools, everything from an uptick in household allergies to the increased use of hair-dryers can damage the delicate structure of the inner ear. But some hearing loss can be temporary. Luckily, these simple fixes sharpen hearing — starting today.
To reverse hearing loss, upgrade your grilled cheese.
Add sliced avocado to your grilled cheese sandwich or BLT, and you’ll reverse hearing damage by as much as 60 percent, suggests research in Nutrients. Avocados are packed with potassium, a “miracle mineral” that 92 percent of us are deficient in.
What makes potassium so special? It helps nutrient-rich blood reach tiny capillaries in the inner ear to heal existing hearing loss. Another option: Supplement with 2,600 milligrams of potassium daily. It’s M.D. recommended to correct a shortfall and restore hearing.
To protect against hearing loss, put your blow-dryer on mute.
Most women don’t realize that hair dryers are among the top hidden culprits of hearing loss — especially at this chillier time of year, when air-drying becomes less appealing. Indeed, hair-dryers are about seven times louder than the average conversation. That’s more than enough to damage the tiny hairs and bones responsible for translating sound from the ears to the brain. The simple fix: Pop in some earplugs before you style your hair! The spongy little buds reduce the sound of the blowdryer by as much as 40 percent, bringing it well within the safety zone.
To improve hearing, open the window.
Closing up the house tight in autumn makes your home extra cozy. But it also puts you in closer contact with dusts, molds and other indoor allergens that trigger a release of histamine that can clog ears and dampen hearing. Luckily, Canadian scientists say opening two windows for 2 minutes creates a cross-breeze that sweeps away up to 45 percent of the indoor toxins that hamper hearing.
A version of this article originally appeared in our print magazine, Woman’s World.
