In recent years, health professionals have advocated that we do all we can to eat foods that promote the health of the cardiovascular system. Now, it seems we all have even more reason to embrace heart-healthy diets. According to a recent analysis of 81,000 women in the Nurses’ Health Study II, those whose eating habits most closely resembled a Mediterranean-style diet or the anti-hypertension DASH diet were nearly one-third (30 percent) less likely to develop moderate or severe hearing loss over a 22-year period than women with the least adherence to the elements of these diets. It is thought that heart-healthy diets protect against hearing loss by reducing the oxidative damage caused by free radicals and lowering nerve inflammation.
In addition to a dietary approach, two important steps you can take to help protect your hearing are wearing ear protection in loud, noisy environments and having your hearing checked regularly to stay on top of possible hearing loss. Hearing tests are easy, comprehensive, painless ways of evaluating this precious sense. If you’ve never had a hearing test, or if it’s been awhile since your last one, call us at The Ear Clinic, 46 Nelson Street W., across from the LCBO, to schedule a complimentary hearing evaluation. If wearing a hearing aid is indicated, we can show you a variety of instruments and through our test drive process, determine which is best for you. PH: 226-909-0966.
P.S. Previous research has linked overall healthy diets to a reduced risk of hearing loss.