It’s likely that you’ve already noticed that you don’t hear as well as you once did. Usually, we don’t even realize that our choices are negatively affecting our hearing.

Many types of hearing loss are avoidable with several simple lifestyle changes. What follows are 6 tips that will help you maintain your hearing.

1. Manage Your Blood Pressure

It’s not good if your blood pressure stays high. A study determined that people who have above-average blood pressure are 52% more likely to develop hearing loss, not to mention other health concerns.

Reduce injury to your hearing by taking steps to reduce your blood pressure. Don’t dismiss high blood pressure or wait to consult a doctor. Following your doctor’s guidance, eating a healthy diet, managing stress, and exercising regularly are all parts of blood pressure management.

2. Stop Smoking

There are plenty of good reasons to quit smoking, here’s yet another: Smokers are 15% more likely to suffer from hearing loss. Even more alarming: People who are regularly subjected to second-hand smoke are 28% more likely to have hearing problems. The harmful consequences of second-hand smoke are not only harmful, they also hang in the air for long periods.

If you’re a smoker, protect your hearing and consider quitting. Take measures to reduce your exposure to second-hand smoke if you spend time with a smoker.

3. Control Your Diabetes

One in four adults is either pre-diabetic or diabetic. Unless they make some significant lifestyle changes, someone who is pre-diabetic will very likely develop diabetes within 5 years.

Blood vessels that are injured by high blood sugar don’t effectively carry nutrients. Compared to a person who doesn’t have diabetes, a diabetic person has more than twice the chance of developing hearing loss.

If you suffer from diabetes, safeguard your hearing by taking the appropriate steps to manage it. Safeguard your hearing by making lifestyle changes if you are at risk of type 2 diabetes.

4. Lose Some Weight

This is more about your health than feeling good about your body image. Hearing loss and other health conditions increase as your Body Mass Index (BMI) increases. The chance of getting hearing loss increases by 17% for a slightly obese woman with a BMI of 30 to 34. For somebody with a BMI of 40 (moderate obesity), the risk goes up to 25%.

Take actions to lose that excess weight. Your life can be prolonged and your hearing can be protected by something as simple as walking for 30 minutes every day.

5. OTC Medicines Shouldn’t be Overused

Certain over-the-counter (OTC) medications can result in hearing impairment. The more frequently these medications are taken over a prolonged period of time, the greater the risk.

Medications including acetaminophen, naproxen, ibuprofen, and aspirin are known to lead to hearing loss. Take these medications in moderation and only with your doctor’s advice if you need to take them more frequently.

If you’re taking the suggested dose for the periodic headache, studies indicate you’ll most likely be fine. Using them daily, however, raises the chance of hearing loss by up to 40% for men.

Always follow your doctor’s orders. But if you’re using these medicines each day to manage chronic pain or thin your blood, consult your doctor about lifestyle changes you can implement to reduce your dependence on OTC drugs.

6. Eat More Broccoli

Broccoli is high in nutrients and vitamins like C and K and also has lots of iron. Iron is vital to blood circulation and a healthy heart. Oxygen and nutrients are transported to your cells which helps keep them nourished and healthy and iron is a significant part of this process.

For vegetarians or individuals who don’t eat meat very often, eating a sufficient amount of plant-based iron is important. The iron found in plants is not as bioavailable as the iron in meat so people in this group are more likely to be deficient in iron.

More than 300,000 people were studied by Pennsylvania State University. Individuals who suffer from anemia (severe iron deficiency) are two times as likely, according to this research, to experience sensorineural hearing loss than individuals who have normal iron concentrations. Sensorineural hearing loss is the scientific term for permanent hearing loss related to the aging process.

Sound is picked up and sent to the brain by delicate little hairs in the inner ear which resonate with the volume and frequency of that sound. If poor circulation or an iron deficiency causes these little hairs to die they will be gone forever.

Don’t wait to get a hearing test because you’re never too young. Implement these steps into your life and prevent hearing loss.