Heart and Hearing Health

Put your heart where your hearing is! February is American Heart Health Month. You’re probably wondering why we in the ear business want you to be aware of healthy heart habits. AN NIH study points us straight to the answer.

The study shows there is a 15% greater chance of developing hearing impairment when you have atherosclerosis, aka plaque buildup around your heart’s arteries, cardiovascular disease, and the leading cause of death in the U.S. The plaque buildup prevents adequate oxygen-rich blood from getting where it needs to when it needs to including your ears. So maintaining a healthy heart, among other reasons, is pretty important for your hearing.

The American Heart Association recommends that you eat a healthy diet, manage stress and weight, get regular exercise, quit smoking and maintain a healthy work environment to have a healthy heart.  Easy, right? The good news is that, if your lifestyle is on track to having a healthy heart, the NIH study also showed that interventions targeting plaque prevention (regaining a healthy heart) may also help to prevent or delay hearing impairment onset.

In addition to keeping your heart healthy, other tips to maintain your hearing health include:

• Stay away from prolonged or sudden exposure to loud noises
• Wear proper ear protection if you must be exposed to loud noises
• Understand what dangerous sound levels are
• Listen to music at low to medium levels, especially when wearing headphones
• Get regular hearing evaluations

Hearing problems arise even in the absence of atherosclerosis. And research shows that the long-term effects of living with untreated hearing impairment are far more wide-reaching than communication problems. At Hearing Associates of Las Vegas, we see people of all ages who are concerned about their hearing. We performs hearing evaluations to let you know your hearing status right away. Living with untreated hearing loss can be dangerous in the long-term. Get in touch today to have your hearing evaluated by Hearing Associates of Las Vegas.