Hearing loss happens. It’s not uncommon to experience some loss as we get older, but lifestyle also makes a difference such as avoiding loud noise to help guard your hearing. Choosing other lifestyle habits like quitting smoking will do something good for your ears. But one factor you might not have considered is how body weight affects your hearing health. According to experts, if you’re overweight with a large waistline,you’re at a higher risk for suffering hearing loss.
Lower Body Weight Can Save Your Hearing
Here’s what the research shows. More than 68,000 women over 20 years of age took part in a Harvard Nurses’ Health Study. Once the results were analyzed, researchers concluded that women with a higher body mass index, or the body weight to height, were at greater hearing loss risk than women of normal weight.
Experts already know that excessive fat around the waistline is linked to health issues like heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Hearing loss is now another item you can add to your list of complications due to being overweight. It’s not all bad news. An energetic walk for several days a week or any regular exercise that gets your heart rate up will lower the risk of hearing loss, not to mention help you to feel healthier.
Start Your Exercise – But Don’t Blast Your Ear Buds!
You don’t need to exercise like an Olympian to gain the protective benefits of a workout. In the American Journal of Medicine, researchers published that taking a walk two or more hours a week reduced the chance of hearing loss by up to 15%.But here’s a word of caution. Blasting music or even your favorite book through your ear buds can reduce the hearing benefits of exercising. Pumping sound directly into your ear canal can produce damage even at medium levels. If you just can’t do without your buds, keep them at a 30% volume and don’t wear them 24/7.
To learnadditional tips to help protect your precious hearing, contact us. Call today to set up an appointment with our audiologist at Los Gatos Audiologyfor a FREEhearing screening. We’ve served San Jose and the Bay Area for over 40 years, providing the right solution for Your Life. Your Style.
Los Gatos Audiology 15899 Los Gatos-Almaden Rd., Suite 8 Los Gatos, CA 95032
For an appointment please call (408) 354-1312 or visit www.losgatosaudiology.com