NEW YEAR, NEW YOU, ACHIEVE A SMASHING HEALTHY HEARING YEAR 

Photo credit: Audicus

If you are reading this, congratulations you made it to year 2017. Although 2016 may not have been the best year or turned out as planned for many of us in Nigeria, however let’s be thankful for the gift of another year.

In our usual tradition, I believe we promised ourselves to do things differently. Eat healthy, stop smoking, spend more time with our loved ones, and go on that vacation you have always craved for, hit the gym more often and the list is endless. We all know the drill. But more often than not, the motivation to adhere to these resolutions seems not to last for more than few weeks and we find ourselves in our former self. 

Looking back this time last year, I made some nice resolutions, stuck to them for a couple of months and gradually I lost the momentum and before I knew it the year was nearing its end. I guess you must have found yourself in the same shoes as mine. But not to worry we can all do things differently this year. 

The year is still young, and we can all start now to make a difference. Come on board with me and let’s rock this year with some great healthy hearing resolution and stick with them throughout the year. 

Personally, I have decided to write more, give more time to personal development, explore some new awesome books on just any topic that catches my interest (am sure some overwhelming information awaits me) and lots more. But in the purview of achieving wellness, maintaining a healthy hearing and sticking to them throughout the year is paramount. What can we add to our resolution on achieving healthy hearing? Here are some tips to having an amazing hearing experience throughout this 2017.

·        Minimize your exposure to loud noise that is persistent. For example, loud music from home and social gatherings, noise from power generators, traffic noise. Exposure to continuous sounds above 85decibels (decibels are unit of relative loudness) can damage the cells in the ear that transmit sounds to the brain. 

·        Get your hearing tested. But you may ask, why get tested when I can hear what people say? It is advisable to get tested once a year. This will help detect any form of deviation from normal hearing. The cost of getting tested cannot be compared to the cost of losing your hearing. Hearing loss is gradual, sneaks on you like a thief at night and it’s irreversible. 

·     Minimize the volume of your headphones as high volume can be damaging to your hearing organs.

·     Wear earplugs or protective earmuffs during activities that expose you to noise above 85 decibels. Activities like attending road shows, concerts, night clubs, gigs and carnivals.

·        Stop dipping cotton buds into your ears. Most cotton buds are not sterile and can carry germs and dusts which can infect your ears.

·        Please leave that wax alone. Against popular belief, that wax is unhygienic, they are actually good for your ears. Wax is secreted in our ears as a self-cleaning mechanism that protects the ear from germs and dirt.

·         Read books on healthy hearing. You are sure to learn some new and amazing things. You be sure to thank me later 

·        Tell others about healthy hearing this year. One way to do this is to talk to people about hearing loss and ways to prevent it through hearing conservation.

·        Share this article with your loved ones.

So this is something I think you should know about having a healthy hearing experience in 2017. But if I somehow missed your expectation, feel free to comment below. Hopefully this information makes some sense.

I will love to read some of your amazing New Year resolution. Do have a smashing year ahead and a happy hearing after.