4 Ways to Help Protect Your Hearing

Learn how to address hearing issues to help stay healthier

AARP^®Hearing Solutions^™ provided by UnitedHealthcare^® Hearing

(Paid Content)

Published December 05, 2024

Photo credit: Getty Images

There’s no question: having trouble hearing may make conversations and daily interactions more difficult. While it’s not uncommon for adults to have some hearing loss, there are things you can do to protect your hearing — or stop hearing loss from getting more pronounced.

Put these steps into place every day and you may be able to protect your hearing for the long term:

1. Protect your ears from loud noise

You know the boom of fireworks is loud. But everyday noises you encounter can also impact your hearing. Here are some common sources of loud noise:¹

Lawn equipment
Listening to music through earbuds or headphones
Power tools
Sporting events

Loud noise causes the hair cells in the inner ear to become overworked. It may even cause those cells to die permanently. Even a single exposure to very loud noise can cause damage to these cells and tissues. Long-term exposure, though, may cause even more permanent damage.²

Wearing hearing protection, such as earplugs, can help. You can find basic earplugs at a drugstore or get more advanced ones from a hearing care professional.³

2. Take care of your health

Taking care of your body and your health can also help you hear clearly.

Diabetes, for example, can affect hearing. In fact, people who have diabetes are twice as likely to have hearing loss as those of the same age without diabetes, according to the CDC.⁴ When you have diabetes, it’s important to talk with your doctor about how to manage your blood sugar — for better health and hearing.

3. Wear hearing aids as prescribed

Wearing hearing aids may also help sharpen your hearing. If you do have hearing aids, one of the best ways to improve your hearing is to wear them every day. According to the National Council on Aging, nearly 29 million American adults need hearing aids, and just 16% of people between the ages of 20 and 69 who need hearing aids actually wear them.⁵

When you first get hearing aids, there might be an adjustment period while your brain learns to process sounds when heard through a hearing aid. You should wear your hearing aids as much as possible during your waking hours, and your brain will start to make sense of the sounds it’s hearing.

4. Get a hearing screening

If no matter what you do, you still need to turn up the TV volume or you have trouble understanding a friend while you’re out at a restaurant, you may benefit from getting your hearing screened.⁶

A hearing care professional can give you a full hearing exam. They can also develop a care plan to help improve your ability to hear clearly.

From whispered conversations to family vacations, hearing loss could be affecting your life more than you think. As an AARP member, you can hear more for less. All you need is your AARP membership number to save big on hearing care.

Click here to explore how your AARP^® membership can help you save on hearing health with AARP^® Hearing Solutions^™ provided by UnitedHealthcare Hearing

^{References/Footnotes:}

^{1. What causes noise-induced hearing loss Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated April 12, 2024.}

^{2. Hearing loss: a common problem for older adults National Institute on Aging. Last reviewed January 19, 2023.}

^{3. Hearing protectors National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Last updated October 21, 2022.}

^{4. Diabetes and hearing loss Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last reviewed May 27, 2022.}

^{5. Only 1 in 6 Americans with hearing loss wears hearing aids — here’s why National Council on Aging. Published August 11, 2023.}

^{6. Signs of noise-induced hearing loss Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last reviewed April 12, 2024.}

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