Not only do earbuds, Q-tips, or ear candles cause ear problems, but lifestyle habits such as smoking, drinking, and using earphones for a long time can also harm your ears. Often ignored and neglected, these lifestyle problems are one of the causes of people having hearing issues. Here are six lifestyle habits that cause ear problems.
Smoking
Smoking impacts not only your lungs, heart, and oral health but also your ears. A hospital-based study on the Indian population (Uttar Pradesh) noted a link between smoking and its impact on hearing. It concluded that smoking was found to be associated with hearing loss, which is of sensorineural type. Sensorineural hearing loss is caused by damage to the cells of the inner ear, which is permanent in nature.
Drinking Alcohol
If you are someone who drinks too much alcohol, then beware, it might impact your hearing. Alcohol may affect how well your brain processes sound, particularly low-frequency noises. It can alter the makeup of the inner ear fluid, which can lead to imbalance, dizziness, and hearing loss. The inner ear becomes toxic as a result, harming the cochlea's hair cells. The central auditory cortex of your brain, which is in charge of processing sounds, might suffer from excessive drinking.
Also Read: Ear Infection Increases In Winter, Here's How You Can Prevent It
Excessive Headphone Use
It might be dangerous to wear earbuds or headphones for a long time because they expose your ears to loud noises that can harm your hearing. Loud noises from headphones and earbuds can damage the cells in your inner ears. These cells convert sound waves to electrical impulses and send them to the brain. This process gets disrupted when these cells get affected, leading to reduced hearing.
Ignoring Infections
A lot of people ignore their early signs of infection. When the infection starts to trouble them, that’s when it comes to their notice. At this stage, things could get complicated, and you can also develop ear problems. This is because bacterial infections can damage the hair cells of the inner ear. Even though your symptoms may go away and you may feel better, the infection may still be present deep inside your ear. The inner and middle ear may get damaged by the bacteria over time. Thus, getting a timely cure for infections is important to prevent any other risks.
Also Read: What Is Serous Otitis Media? How It Is Different From Ear Infection, Know Symptoms And Risk Factors
Not Exercising
People who live sedentarily also tend to gain more weight which can lead to obesity. Several other problems like diabetes and heart disease can occur as a result of this. These conditions can impair blood flow which can ultimately harm hearing. One of the ways to lower your chance of acquiring these health issues is to exercise frequently and maintain a healthy weight.
Occupational Hazards
Other than this, people who work in places where they are exposed to loud noises are also prone to have impacted hearing. These environments included working in a construction and manufacturing site. Loud noises coming from the types of machinery that are used at these workplaces can harm hearing in a negative way. Thus, it is advised for people who work in such loud-noise environments to use safety equipment, including ear covers, to protect themselves.
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