Hearing Problem
Hearing Problems
In a world of blaring boom boxes, jarring jackhammers and screaming sirens, it’s no wonder that hearing problems are on the rise.
Statistics show that one in 12 people suffers from some kind of hearing trouble. Hearing problems can range from hearing loss (caused by too much noise, an infection, a drug side effect, aging or other factors) to tinnitus, a constant ringing or buzzing in your ears.
Prevention is the best medicine for your ears. Stay away from loud noise when you can, especially when it’s continuous, and wear ear protection when you can’t. The natural remedies in this chapter—in conjunction with medical care and used with the approval of your doctor—may help prevent hearing loss, according to some health professionals.
See Your Medical Doctor When... - You have sudden hearing loss or ringing in one or both ears.
- You
- You have sharp pain in one or both ears.
|
Food Therapy
A zinc deficiency could affect hearing, so get enough of it in your diet, says Michael A. Klaper, M.D., a nutritional medicine specialist in Pompano Beach, Florida, and director of the Institute of Nutritional Education and Research, an organization based in Manhattan Beach, California, that teaches doctors about nutrition and its relationship to disease. He suggests oysters, crabmeat and other seafood as well as lean beef as good food sources of zinc. (For other food sources of zinc, see “Getting What You Need” on page 142.)
Dr. Klaper adds that a high-fat diet might also cause hearing loss by blocking blood flow to the cochlea, the hearing mechanism in your inner ear. He suggests limiting the fat in your diet to no more than 25 percent of your total calorie intake.
Vitamin and Mineral Therapy
Magnesium and zinc supplements can help restore stability to your inner ear, where some hearing problems begin, says Paul Yanick, Ph.D., a research scientist in Milford, Pennsylvania, who specializes in hearing problems. Some experts recommend that people with hearing loss take 30 milligrams of zinc and 400 milligrams of magnesium daily.
Yoga
Daily practice of an exercise called yawning (page 628) and a simple chant may help fight hearing loss, writes yoga teacher Rosalind Widdowson in her book The Joy of Yoga. The chant uses a mantra, a sound that is often used in yoga meditation. Widdowson’s instructions: Sit in a comfortable chair and begin breathing deeply. As you exhale, repeat one of these phrases out loud: ham or hrah. Hold the last sound (either the mmmm in ham or the ahhh in hrah) and feel the vibrations. Widdowson suggests doing this for two to three minutes each day.
See also Tinnitus
