Ask your audiologist...

I am sorry to tell you that there are no exercises that I know of that will prevent the normal aging process from taking its toll on your hearing.

Hearing loss is usually related to aging and noise exposure. There are many other reasons but I am only going to address these two. To take care of you're hearing take care of yourself. Eat right; get plenty of good sleep and exercise. Balance and hearing are combined in the cochlear (your inner ear).

Getting regular exercise can help one maintain their balance. A sedentary lifestyle is not good for trying to maintain good balance. Regular exercise will help get the blood, fluids and oxygen to your inner ears. The healthier one is the better their chance of preserving the hearing they have. For those people that are exposed to noise it is very important to wear earplugs to keep the noise from damaging your hearing. Protect the hearing you have from loud noise by wearing earplugs, muffs or even better wear both at the same time.

For people that have hearing aids it is important for them to wear the aids regularly. For one to get the maximum benefit from their aids one must wear them and wear them in noisy places. How will you be able to hear and understand conversation in noise if you don't practice hearing in noise? If one only wears their aids when they are going to be around other people (in noisy situations) they will not be used to them and the noise may become overwhelming. Exercise your hearing by wearing your aids. This will keep the neural pathway from the inner ear to the brain strong.

Dr. Tia Flynn is a certified audiologist and has been in business for more than 10 years. Every Tuesday morning from 9 a.m. to noon, Dr. Flynn provides free hearing screenings at 1601 Third St. in Coeur d'Alene. Information: (208) 664-2767. Visit www.affordablehearinginc.com for a free copy of the consumers guide to hearing aids and watch helpful videos.