First off, while I remember. Always go to your doctor if you think there is something wrong with your ears or any part of you. I myself am not registered with a doctor and have had no reason to visit one for the past twenty years, so I often forget to add this advice.

Now, who would not like very acute hearing? Surely most people would like the organs of their body to perform at optimum level whenever possible. So how do we preserve the good hearing we have and even improve upon it. Well what seems to have most potential to damage the hearing is loud noise. We all have heard of the rock musicians who have paid for constant exposure to heavy music by becoming more or less deaf.

So we would like to avoid loud noise. Routine wearing of ear protectors when carrying out noisy tasks is a must. It is not manly or clever to operate a road drill or be in hearing distance of someone else doing so, without first taking precautions to protect the sensitive eardrum. If you sleep in a noisy environment, consider wearing earplugs at night. These can be made of plastic foam or wax. Earplugs can also be worn when swimming. Chlorinated water is not particularly kind to the mucous membranes within the ear cavity.

Having taken steps to preserve what we have already, how then can we improve upon it? Acuity of hearing is fostered by use of careful listening. Use the radio to improve your hearing. Turn the volume down just below what you can hear comfortably and relax. You will find, after a while, that your internal volume controls adjust and you can hear the radio well again. At that point, turn the radio down once more. Using the radio in this way will help to improve your hearing. At the very least, get in the habit of turning down the radio when ever it gets too loud. Do this and you are becoming more sensitive to your hearing levels right away!

Learn more about this author, Em Saenz.
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