Surprising ways to protect your hearing

One in four Canadians has some degree of hearing loss. Most are over 60, but plenty younger adults have hearing problems, too. Once you lose hearing, you can't get it back without hearing aids, so here's how to protect what you have.

Not only will the silence help you to focus on sounds, but physically fit people tend to have better hearing. The reason? Aerobic exercise brings more oxygen into your system, improving blood flow to your ears.

Avocados are rich in magnesium. Low levels of magnesium may make you more susceptible to noise-induced hearing loss.

Caffeine appears to hamper blood flow to the ears. Reducing your sodium intake can lower blood pressure and people with high blood pressure are more likely to have age-related hearing loss.

And avoid secondhand smoke. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that the more exposure you receive to cigarette smoke, the more likely you are to experience age-related hearing loss.

Believe it or not, moderate drinking can protect against age-related hearing loss. But excessive amounts may actually contribute to hearing loss.

There's a link between the number of teeth you've lost and your hearing. Researchers found that the more of your own teeth you have in old age, the better your hearing.

• Whole grains and legumes are great sources of B vitamins, which studies find protect the neurons and blood vessels connected to the cochlea, the tiny bone found in your inner ear.
• Another study found that women with hearing problems had low blood levels of vitamin B12 and folate.

• The calcium and vitamin D in milk are critical for keeping the bones in your ear, especially the cochlea, healthy.
• One study of 70 healthy women found that those with hearing loss had much lower spinal density (a measure of bone strength) and calcium intake than women with normal hearing.

A wonderful source of vitamin A, sweet potatoes can also help your hearing because, according to animal studies, too little of this nutrient may increase the inner ear's sensitivity to noise, potentially increasing risk of noise-induced hearing loss.

When researchers explored the connection between a variety of lifestyle factors and sudden deafness, comparing their deaf patients to those with normal hearing, they found that those who ate the most fresh veggies had the lowest risk of sudden deafness.

• It's often all that's needed to improve your hearing. Just don't try it yourself; sticking pointed objects into your ear canal is a no-no.
• Try wax-softening ear drops, sold at pharmacies or ask your GP to syringe your ears.

• Keep a pair in your bag, in your car, in the garage with the gardening tools and by the lawnmower.
• If you find you can't escape from loud noise, you're always prepared to protect your hearing.

• Some studies suggest that the herb might not only help with ringing in the ears (tinnitus), but may also benefit hearing loss by improving blood flow to the ears.
• Ginkgo biloba takes about three weeks to work, so be patient.