How Red Wine Assists in Hearing and Brain Function

 

Researchers have recently discovered that a compound called resveratrol , which is found in red wine and also in red grapes, can help protect against hearing loss and age-related cognitive issues. The research was published by the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. This research shows that rats who were given resveratrol  were far less likely to experience any prolonged effects of noise-related hearing loss if they had taken the compound before long-term exposure to the noise. In other words, taking resveratrol seems to shield the ears from negative effects that usually occur from exposure to prolonged loud noises. This article discusses what these findings mean, their implications, and how you can protect your hearing.

 

The Research

Research indicates that the compound itself may actually reduce the risk of hearing loss. The way it does this is by reducing the bio inflammatory response to loud noises, which medical researchers believe is the reason hearing loss occurs. Bio Inflammation happens when injury occurs. When you’re exposed to loud noises, the body perceives it as an injury to your ear. Just as you will experience swelling of your skin if you get cut, your ear will do same thing if damaged by loud noise, and that inflammation can cause further damage to your hearing. Since this compound seems to reduce the inflammatory response, it can protect you from loss of hearing.

 

Implications

The compound has been proven to at least have some helpful effects. Consuming more of the compound might be helpful to overall hearing health, as well. Since studies show the compound also wards off cognitive disease, it is helpful for more than one part of your body. For those who don’t want to drink or don’t like grapes, you can actually purchase the compound in supplement form, as well. The study has several implications, two of which are the prolonged hearing of individuals who take it, and the introduction of a way to possibly prevent a significant amount of hearing damage.

 

Using Common Sense

Having the compound available is not an excuse to take the supplement and then listen to extremely loud music through your headphones. Always use precautions when you’re around loud noises. Wear ear protection if your job exposes you to loud noises, particularly if you are exposed to these sounds for a prolonged period of time. There are online sources like HealthyHearing.com that can help you find a doctor if you need to see one. Early intervention of hearing-related problems has shown to be very helpful in long-term success of treatment, so at the first sign of hearing problems, see a doctor.

 

Resveratrol is certainly a benefit for those who are seeking a way to prevent hearing loss due to exposure to loud noises. Taking the supplement, or drinking one glass of wine per evening, is good for those who want to protect  their hearing, especially those who work around loud noises or listen to music.  Having the compound available is not an excuse to be irresponsible – always protect your hearing whenever possible. Clearly, this compound will have a positive impact on many people when used as a preventative measure to protect hearing ability and overall health.

 

Kenneth Bassett is a health researcher. He frequently blogs about innovative treatments and preventatives.

Categories: brain function, compound, Hearing, hearing loss, hearing nbsp, inflammatory response, Long term, loud, loud noises, Red Wine

How to Prevent Loud Noises from Damaging Your Hearing

Overexposure to loud sounds can temporarily or even permanently damage your hearing, and in today’s world it’s all too possible to overwhelm your ears with noise. If you experience trouble following a conversation when there is background noise, tinnitus or a feeling that other people seem to mumble a lot, you may have developed hearing problems and should consult a doctor. Fortunately, before it gets to this point, there are steps you can take to guard your wellbeing against noise-induced hearing problems:

 

1. Use your time wisely: Sometimes, it’s just not possible to avoid activities that are really noisy, although often there is a way around it, or to lessen the volume. However, if you are in a situation where you do have to be around extreme noise, try to limit the amount of time you spend on those activities.

 

2. Do healthy head-banging: When you’re on your own in the house and feel like rocking out or skidding across the floor in your shirt and boxers a lá Jerry Maguire, you may be tempted to whack the speakers up to a Spinal Tap 11 (after all, it’s one louder than 10). Or maybe you’re driving along in your car by yourself or road-tripping it with friends, and feel the sudden urge to scream the lyrics of Living on a Prayer. All of these are very noble pursuits – or at least really fun ones – but you can still do all the crazy silly things you love to do to the sound of your radio without having the volume so high it bursts your eardrums. When listening to your music, keep the sound at an enjoyable but safe level.

 

3. Equip your ears: There are times when you have no control over your environmental wellness. Maybe the kids next door decide to rave it up when their parents go away, or perhaps the construction workers across the road insist on starting at 6am, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Whatever is putting you at risk for noise-induced hearing loss, you can at least guard your wellness against it by wearing hearing protection, like earplugs or earmuffs (in winter, I’d go for the muffs to save on the heating bill). As the protection device should be as well fitted as possible, you might want to seek the expertise of an audiologist.

 

4. Give yourself time to heal: If you just can’t avoid noise at work or during other activities, and you do experience temporary hearing loss or tinnitus, you need to take care of your ears. This means giving your ears a chance to recover fully by scheduling in some quiet time. If that’s not possible in your home or workplace, try to get out in your free time and find a nice beach spot or park – well away from traffic! If all else fails, there’s your local library, and you might find you enjoy the peace and want to make a habit of it.

 

5. Don’t give your kids any more ammunition: Protect your hearing, and your kids’, by making sure you don’t buy them toys that create crazy levels of sound. They may kick up a fuss over the noisiest playthings, but trust me, they can make plenty of noise on their own, and you’ll only regret it later. The ideal situation is to find a toy that has an on-off switch or a volume control feature, as this allows for noisy play and quiet time. Your children may hold toys closer to their ears than you would, so make sure you educate them about the importance of looking after their hearing.

Categories: Damaged Hearing, ears, Hearing, hearing loss, hearing problems, induced hearing, Loud Noise, nbsp, noise, noise induced, prevention, time