The chirping of birds, the buzzing of bees, the gurgling of streams, the rustling of leaves- what do these have in common? SOUND! Nature has several means of manifesting sound and as humans, we should cherish each and every one of them. But what if one finds that he/she is facing a hearing problem after a certain age?

Wait! there is nothing to be alarmed about as you are NOT the only one facing this crisis. The WHO estimates that 360 million people in the world suffer from hearing disability currently. Of this, 91% are adults. 48% of people above 75 face hearing loss. Is there no solution to improving hearing health?

There is, absolutely! A number of simple hearing exercises have been suggested by audiologists to improve hearing care.

Exercises for improving hearing health

Some people just recoil at the word "exercises'! But don't you worry, these exercises for hearing improvement are simple, easily done and enjoyable too. So, let's start, shall we?

1.Sound Focus through meditation

Sit in a crowded park or on the beach where you are surrounded by lots of people and various sounds. Close your eyes, take a deep breath and exhale very slowly. This is the first step to meditation which increases oxygen intake and improves blood circulation. Now amidst the cacophony of noises, concentrate on each individual sound- the jingling bells of the sugar-candy seller, the hoot-hoot of the balloon seller, the sizzling sound of groundnuts being fried, the rustling of leaves, the chirping of mynahs, the crunching of gravel as people walk... Identify, isolate and focus on each sound individually. Practise on excluding that sound from others and focus your hearing on it alone. Try to locate the source of the sound with your eyes closed, through hearing alone. Repeat this for each type of sound for as long as you can.

This simple hearing exercise actually improves your brain's ability to encode sound and detect sounds amidst background noise. This training helps neural activity to respond to sounds better and detect even the softest of sounds.

2.Sound Therapy

Be it Beethoven or Beatles, Music is truly medicine for the mind, soul and the ear! Yes, Dr. Tomatis has proved that Sound Therapy can alleviate Hearing Loss and is the best exercise for hearing problems.

• Sound Therapy is a Gym Work-out that exercises the ear muscles, cilia, auditory pathway and cortex.
• It improves the Central Auditory processing to promote natural hearing through the exercise of auditory muscles.
• Using high and low frequency, Sound Therapy exercises the muscles of the tensor tympani and stapedius thereby improving their tone and flexibility. This contraction and relaxation of these muscles helps to recognize certain frequencies of sound which might have never reached the ear till now.
• For patients with a sensorineural hearing loss, the cilia may be flattened. Using high-frequency sounds, these cilia are restored to their upright position by active stimulation.
• It improves neural efficiency through the harmonic structure of classical music.
• Sound Therapy resolves psychological issues by recreating a pre-birth hearing experience.

3.Singing in the Shower

Shy of singing in the shower? Don't be! It's time for you to be a Bathroom singer! Yes, your octaves may well open your ears as the sound resonates and bounces off the bathroom walls. It has been found that as you shower, the water circulation activates your nerve cells, pumps more oxygen into the lungs and tunes your ear. Just forget that you have a hearing problem, go ahead and sing a few notes and notice your ear picking up the chords of your voice.

4.Take Vocal Lessons

Most people wrongly assume that vocal exercise involves only exercising your vocal chords. In fact, vocal lessons help you improve your breathing pattern. It helps you to correct your breathing, find a pitch and hold it, thereby tuning your ears to that frequency. This is one of the most effective among hearing problem exercises.

5.Aural Rehabilitation

Aural Rehabilitation involves educating people to hear better using their hearing instruments. This involves the use of hearing aids, cochlear implants, and electrodes as ear implants. Counseling is given to teach people to effectively use the hearing devices to maximize sound reception.

If none of these attempts works out, the only option is to resort to ear surgery. Here again, there is no cause for worry because South India has some of the finest ENT hospitals for the best ear care.

The most important thing is to not lose hope and try incessantly to overcome your hearing problem. After all, if Beethoven could compose music even while his hearing was impaired, why not you? All you have to do is to make an effort, consult good audiologists and ENT specialists and undertake hearing exercises to improve your hearing. Good Luck!