Supporting Hearing Health Naturally

Supporting Hearing Health Naturally: What Helps & What Doesn’t

Hearing is more than just sound, it’s how we stay connected and engaged with the people and world around us. While hearing loss is a natural part of aging, there are ways to support and protect your hearing health naturally.¹ From what you eat to how you move, in this helpful blog we’ll explore the natural remedies that can help your hearing so you can make confident choices for a healthier future.

Habits That Support Hearing Health

While hearing loss cannot be reversed, there are habits you can adopt that help protect your hearing. Here are some simple, natural ways to protect your hearing health and enjoy safe listening practices:

• Eat a hearing-friendly diet: Eating a healthy, balanced diet can go a long way to protecting your hearing health. Certain nutrients like antioxidants, potassium, and zinc are vital for supporting the delicate structures of the inner ear.² These nutrients can be found in a variety of fruits and vegetables. Eating fish can also help with hearing, with studies finding regular fish consumption was associated with lower risk of hearing loss in women.³ When eating for hearing health, you ultimately want to lower your consumption of saturated fats and cholesterol, with studies finding these have been linked to decreased hearing health.⁴
• Exercise regularly: Physical activity improves blood flow to the inner ear and helps reduce the risk of chronic conditions like high blood pressure, obesity, and type 2 diabetes, all of which have been linked to hearing loss.⁵ Research has shown that older adults who exercised regularly were less likely to develop hearing loss over time compared to those who were more sedentary.⁶
• Protect your ears from noise: Noise exposure is one of the leading (and most preventable) causes of hearing loss. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends limiting personal listening device use to under 60 minutes a day at moderate volume.⁷ Use the 60/60 rule (60 percent volume for no more than 60 minutes), wear earplugs in loud environments like festivals or concerts, and allow your ears time to recover after exposure to high noise levels.

Natural Remedies and Supplements: Do They Work?

Many supplements and home remedies claim to improve hearing, but not all of these promises are accurate. Before trying any supplements, it’s important to speak to a healthcare provider, particularly if you’re taking medications or have underlying conditions. Here’s what the research tells us may help support hearing:

• Ginkgo biloba: Some evidence suggests this may improve circulation or reduce tinnitus, but the results are far from conclusive.⁸
• Zinc: This supplement may help in cases of sudden hearing loss, particularly when a deficiency is present.⁹ However, there is no proof that suggests zinc helps with gradual hearing decline. 
• Garlic oil, herbal drops, or ear massages: Despite frequently being promoted as something that can assist with hearing health, scientific evidence to suggest their effectiveness is lacking.¹⁰

Myths To Avoid: What Doesn't Actually Help

Some ‘hearing hacks’ can do more harm than good when it comes to supporting our hearing health. Here’s what to avoid:

• Ear candling: This involves placing a hollow, wax-coated candle in the ear and lighting it to then ‘draw out’ wax. As well as being ineffective, it can potentially cause burns, ear canal blockages, and other injuries to the ear.¹¹
• Miracle ear drops or pills: Often sold online with the promise of restoring hearing overnight, most contain unproven ingredients and have no clinical evidence to support such claims. 
• Cleaning your ears with cotton buds: Cleaning the ear with cotton buds can push wax deeper into the ear, potentially even puncturing the eardrum.¹²
  ‘Ear training’ through loud noise exposure: This trend suggests that exposing yourself to high volumes can strengthen hearing. The reality is that repeated exposure to loud sounds can actually increase your risk of long-term damage.

When To Seek Support

When it comes to supporting your hearing health, natural strategies and healthy habits are a great first step. However, if you’ve noticed that voices sound muffled or you’re turning up the volume on the TV more often, it might be time for a hearing test. 

Healthy habits go hand-in-hand with professional care and regular hearing checks help detect changes early, when they’re easiest to manage. If you’re wanting to support your hearing health, book an appointment at your local Connect Hearing clinic. Our team of experts can assess your hearing and offer personalised advice so you stay connected to the world around you.

References:

1. Harvard Health Publishing (16 August 2020), 3 reasons to leave earwax alone, www.health.harvard.edu, accessed 1 August 2025.
2. National Institute on Aging (19 January 2023), Hearing Loss: A Common Problem for Older Adults, www.nia.nih.gov, accessed 1 August 2025.
3. Journal of the Formosan Medical Association (January 2021), Role of nutrition in the development and prevention of age-related hearing loss: A scoping review, Science Direct, accessed 1 August 2025. 
4. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (10 September 2014), Fish and fatty acid consumption and the risk of hearing loss in women, National Library of Medicine, accessed 1 August 2025. 
5. European Journal of Nutrition (21 July 2021), Dietary fat intake and risk of disabling hearing impairment: a prospective population-based cohort study, National Library of Medicine, accessed 1 August 2025. 
6. Impact Journal on Aging (4 January 2019), The association between obesity, diet quality, and hearing loss in older adults, National Library of Medicine, accessed 1 August 2025. 
7. National Institute on Aging (30 September 2021), 3 studies link hearing loss with less physical activity among older adults, www.nia.nih.gov, accessed 1 August 2025. 
8. World Health Organisation (2023), Make Listening Safe, World Health Organisation, accessed 1 August 2025. 
9. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment (28 July 2011), Ginkgo biloba extract in the treatment of tinnitus; a systematic review, National Library of Medicine, accessed 1 August 2025. 
10. Laryngoscope (6 October 2010), Zinc in the treatment of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss, National Library of Medicine, accessed 1 August 2025. 
11. Noise & Health Journal (20 November 2018), Evaluation of Effect of Garlic Aged Extracts and Vitamin B12 on Noise-Induced Hearing Loss, National Library of Medicine, accessed 1 August 2025. 
12. Canadian Family Physician (December 2007), Ear candling: Should general practitioners recommend it?, National Library of Medicine, accessed 1 August 2025.