Natural Ways to Support Your Hearing

Hearing loss can make everyday activities difficult and stressful. It can affect your quality of life, increasing feelings of isolation and frustration. Furthermore, recent research has linked hearing loss with an increased chance of suffering from dementia (1). 

In this article, you’ll learn about some of the factors connected with a deterioration in hearing, as well as how to protect your hearing as you move through life.

Hearing Loss Explained

If you’ve noticed your hearing isn’t as sharp as it used to be, you’re not alone. Around one in six adults in the UK are affected by hearing loss. 

If you are unable to hear sounds below 20 decibels in at least one ear, you are classed as having a degree of hearing loss. 20 decibels is around the volume of a faint whisper or rustling leaves. At the other extreme, profound deafness is defined as an inability to detect sound under 90 decibels, similar to the noise of traffic at a busy intersection. 

How Do You Hear?

Once sound waves enter the trumpet-like outer ears, they are funnelled down into your middle ear. This is a cavity containing your eardrum, a membrane which vibrates when it’s hit by sound waves. The vibrations are conducted onwards to three tiny bones, known as ossicles. These transmit the sound waves into your inner ear, specifically to the cochlea, a fluid-filled structure. The cochlea possesses tiny hairs, capable of transforming sound waves into electrical impulses to be decoded by your brain’s temporal lobe. 

The most common causes of adult hearing loss are age and noise. The structures in your ear responsible for hearing are affected by the same age-related deterioration as any other parts of your body. Major contributory factors include inflammation and oxidative stress. Another cause may be decreased circulation of blood to the ears, therefore reducing the availability of oxygen and nutrients. In fact, over half of all adults in the UK aged over 55 experience some degree of hearing loss. You might find higher-frequency sounds are those most difficult to detect.

Exposure to loud noises over your lifetime can negatively affect hearing and make it more likely you’ll suffer from hearing loss into older age. Loud noise increases oxidative stress and can restrict blood flow to the ear. 

Damage to the cochlea’s hair cells or the auditory nerve are the most common reasons for hearing loss, either age-related or noise-induced. Sometimes, the cause may be a blockage in the outer or middle ear, such as excess ear wax, infection or a foreign body in the ear.

Medical conditions like high blood pressure, obesity and autoimmune diseases can cause hearing to deteriorate more rapidly.

Natural Support for Your Hearing

Your hearing apparatus needs certain nutrients to function well. These include natural plant chemicals called antioxidants, found in colourful fruit and vegetables. They can prevent age-related damage to body cells, and some research suggests antioxidants may be able to protect the ears from noise-related hearing loss. 

Omega 3 fats, found in oily fish, nuts and seeds, can help prevent elevated inflammation. One study discovered the more plentiful omega 3 is in the diet, the less likely a person is to suffer from age-related hearing loss (2).  

Reduced blood flow to the ear can be one cause of a deterioration in hearing. Low iron levels may impair blood flow to the ears, while gingko biloba helps dilate blood vessels, thus improving blood flow. This herb has been examined in research for its ability to support hearing (3). 

Vitamin B12 deficiency is linked to age-related hearing loss. This is not surprising considering its importance in nerve health. The effect is particularly pronounced when combined with low levels of folate, also important for efficient circulation (4). Together, these nutrients regulate homocysteine, a molecule which can harm the linings of blood vessels.

Zinc is another nutrient important to avoid hearing loss. Finally, magnesium’s importance in hearing probably relates to its role in supporting nerve function and promoting blood flow (5).

Hormone imbalances can contribute towards hearing loss, too. If your thyroid isn’t functioning well, you are at an increased risk of experiencing hearing loss.

Natural Support to Protect Your Hearing

Many potential factors can contribute towards hearing issues. An Integrative Health Assessment comprises a detailed case history, accompanied by functional testing as appropriate. The aim is to drill down and uncover the root causes of your hearing loss, whether they be nutritional, hormonal, circulatory or down to uncontrolled inflammation. For example, a Multivitamin Test can detect low levels of vitamin B12, iron, magnesium and folate from a single drop of blood. 

Following your consultation, a comprehensive nutritional, dietary and lifestyle plan will be yours to help optimise your hearing. 

Start your journey towards better hearing by contacting us today.

References

1. Hearing impairment and dementia: cause, catalyst or consequence? - PMC
2. Consumption of omega-3 fatty acids and fish and risk of age-related hearing loss - PubMed (nih.gov)
3. IJPCR,Vol13,Issue6,Article28.pdf
4. Exploring the Intricate Connection Between Vitamin B12 Deficiency and Hearing Loss: A Systematic Literature Review - Joyline Rodrigues, Shubhangi Anand, Dhanshree R. Gunjawate, Kaushlendra Kumar, Rohit Ravi, 2026
5. Magnesium and hearing loss - PubMed