If your hearing loss is related to exposure to loud noise, consider vitamins A, C, and E taken alongside magnesium. If your hearing loss is simply an effect of growing older, folic acid may help keep your ears sharp. To reduce noise-induced hearing loss, vitamins A, C, and E coupled with magnesium may be the answer.
Further evidence that diet is a factor in preserving hearing: Researchers in Spain found that eating fruits and vegetables, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins A, C and E was linked to a lower risk of developing hearing loss.
Antioxidants like vitamins A, C and E halt excessive production of these free radicals, which can damage the delicate cells in our ears. Studies have also shown that supplementing with vitamins A, C and E (plus magnesium) before exposure to loud noise can actually help prevent noise-induced hearing damage.
We propose that demyelination, dysmyelination or axonopathy due to vitamin B12 deficiency may affect cochlear nerve and can cause hearing impairment.
Vitamin A, C, and E
The antioxidants in these vitamins prevent damage to health cells, making all three of these essential vitamins for ear health.
Vitamin D deficiency is a suggested cause and risk factor for various ear diseases.
Vitamin B12 deficiency can irritate and hamper the function of nerves in the ear. Research studies have shown that people with tinnitus experienced improvement in symptoms after undergoing vitamin B12 supplemental therapy.
Magnesium therapy has been demonstrated in several studies to be effective in either preventing or treating hearing damage, particularly noise-induced hearing loss, but also in improving hearing loss associated with drug ototoxicity and sudden sensorineural hearing loss.
The efficacy of magnesium, administered either to prevent or to treat hearing damage, has been demonstrated in several studies in animals and in humans, particularly in noise-induced hearing loss.
Magnesium for preventing noise-induced hearing loss
The dosage used in this study was quite small—only 167 milligrams (mg) of magnesium daily—but tests showed that even this amount was sufficient to raise magnesium levels inside cells and apparently protect the ear from damage.
Unfortunately, curing a hearing loss naturally is not currently possible. To restore hearing, intervention is generally required. This could be in the form of hearing aid devices. In some cases, surgical intervention can help restore hearing.
The delicate hair cells in the ear, which detect sound, are permanently degraded or damaged. For these people, there is no cure, but hearing better can be as simple as visiting a hearing care professional and being professionally fit with the right type of hearing aid.
There is no medical or surgical treatment for hearing loss caused by noise. Damaged hair cells do not grow back. As much as possible, you should try to protect your hearing. If you do have hearing loss, you should take steps to keep it from getting worse.
– Effective hearing loss treatments have eluded medicine because once sensory cells in the inner ear called hair cells are damaged or destroyed, they cannot be regenerated. This loss of hair cells, which can be caused by aging, noise exposure and other factors, renders an individual's hearing loss permanent.
Magnesium reduces noise-induced hearing loss
Loud noise impairs the blood flow to the cochlea. Magnesium improves blood flow to the cochlea by expanding the blood vessels and improving circulation. The increased circulation provides the necessary blood to maintain healthy sensory cells in the inner ear.
While studies have shown mixed results on whether this mineral prevents ear infections, it's not a bad idea to fuel up on foods rich in this anti-inflammatory mineral for your hearing health. One hearing-related issue that zinc has been shown to help is sudden hearing loss.
Bananas: The magnesium-rich fruit is all that your ears needed as a regular diet.
And, based on the research, a deficiency of vitamin B12, in particular, could increase your potential for developing tinnitus.
When vitamin D deficiency causes osteopenia in the tiny bones of the ears, this can lead to hearing loss and even deafness. Strikingly, correcting the vitamin D deficiency often corrects the hearing loss and even the deafness in these specific cases [4] .
Vitamin D deficiency and your hearing are related. When a vitamin D deficiency occurs it can cause our bones to become weak and lose proper function and this includes the smallest bones in our body too. This condition is known as osteopenia and the effects can result in a hearing loss or even deafness.
Hearing aids, special training, certain medications, and surgery are some of the treatments that can help.
Incorporating turmeric into your diet will help keep your potassium levels higher, possibly preventing age-related hearing loss. For more information or to talk to an audiologist about all your hearing loss treatment options, call the experts at The Hearing & Balance Center today.
Ginger. With its antibiotic and antiviral components, ginger helps prevent infections that can cause hearing loss. This herb also activates and regulates nerves that facilitate sound transmission waves to the brain.