You may be familiar with hearing loss and its association with aging. Unfortunately, age-related hearing loss is a fact of life. However, this does not mean that you must sit back and accept a hearing loss. New research is indicating that a healthy diet is an easy way to help reduce the risk of hearing loss. The focus of the study is the recognition of modifiable risk factors for hearing loss. What changes in our diet and lifestyle can prevent or delay the progression of hearing loss?
A Healthy Diet For Your Ears
A healthy diet has numerous benefits for the entire body. The researchers believe that eating healthy can also help to reduce the risk of hearing loss. Three thousand one hundred women were participants in the study. During the duration of the study, the women would report on their daily dietary habits every four years. The interest of the researchers lies in seeing how the participants’ diets compare with three popular diets that claim to improve consumer health. The diets include the Alternate Healthy Index-2010, the DASH diet, and the Mediterranean Diet. The Alternate Healthy Index gives consumers a score reflective of their eating habits, which is an excellent predictor of disease. The DASH diet is about healthy blood pressure, and it encourages consumers to eat foods that promote healthy blood pressure. Finally, the Mediterranean diet calls on consumers to cut out processed foods.
The Study
Testing of the participants’ hearing levels took place at the beginning of the study and again after three years. Although no single dietary plan stood out, the researchers were able to learn that better hearing outcomes for the women in the study are the product of adherence to healthier diets. The connection between diet and hearing sensitivity declines over time. In the course of three years, 19 percent of the participants experienced hearing loss in the mid-frequencies, and near half of them had hearing loss in the higher frequencies. The results suggest that the odds of a decline in mid-frequency hearing sensitivity is almost 30 percent lower in women who follow a diet close to the healthy dietary patterns. For high frequency, the odds of a decline in hearing are 25 percent lower.
Changing Old Habits
According to the research, the decline in the participants’ hearing occurs quickly, taking place in the course of a few years. The research team is encouraging consumers to monitor their healthcare and do everything they can to prevent hearing loss before it becomes an issue. The team feels that changing habits within their control, such as diet, along with making visits to their primary physicians, is the key to preventing hearing loss.
Trouble Hearing?
Eating healthy is a great way to prevent hearing loss. Getting a regular hearing evaluation with a hearing healthcare professional is another way. A hearing healthcare professional can check your hearing, diagnose any potential problems, and prescribe a course of therapy specific to your hearing needs. If you are having hearing problems, please contact a professional in your area today!
