Biohacking? At first glance, it sounds like technology, but in reality, it’s about taking a conscious approach to your own body. The goal is to identify what drains our energy, what makes us tired, or what hinders our concentration—and to take targeted steps to counteract these effects. Biohackers closely observe their daily lives, test new routines, and thereby optimize their bodies and minds for greater focus, better sleep, and a higher quality of life.

Biohacking can also be a valuable tool for our hearing. After all, a well-balanced body responds more sensitively to auditory stimuli. Therefore, biohacking can help actively promote and maintain healthy hearing.

Tip: If you feel like your hearing has been getting worse lately or you find yourself having to ask people to repeat themselves more often, we recommend getting a hearing test from an ENT specialist or hearing care professional. With our convenient search tool, you can quickly and easily find the right professional near you.

What we eat affects not only our energy levels, our heart, and our skin, but also our hearing. By regularly ensuring we get certain nutrients, we can actually improve our hearing health.

• Potassium
  Potassium helps regulate fluid balance in the delicate structures of the inner ear. This can help prevent hearing loss, especially as we age. Bananas, spinach, oranges, yogurt, and tomatoes are particularly rich in potassium.
• Zinc
  Zinc supports the immune system and protects against inflammation, including in the ear. Good sources of zinc include eggs, legumes, nuts, dairy products, and dark-meat poultry.
• Folic
  AcidFolic acid is particularly important for cell regeneration in the inner ear. It promotes blood circulation and can thus help stabilize hearing in the long term. Spinach, broccoli, peas, and lentils provide folic acid in its natural form.
• Magnesium
  :Magnesium can mitigate the effects of noise on hearing and also protects the heart, circulatory system, and nerves. Avocados, whole-grain products, nuts, and dark chocolate are ideal sources.
• Iron & Omega-3
  An iron deficiency isn’t just noticeable through fatigue; hearing can also suffer as a result. Iron is particularly effective when combined with omega-3 fatty acids. Flaxseeds, fish, and liver are good sources.
• Vitamins A, C, E & Beta-Carotene
  These vitamins protect the sensitive hair cells in the inner ear and strengthen hearing. They can be found in carrots, spinach, eggs, and lamb’s lettuce.

On the other hand, you should avoid foods that are high in sugar. You should also cut back on excessive alcohol and caffeine consumption as part of your biohacking routine. Unhealthy lifestyle habits can impair blood flow to the inner ear, thereby increasing the risk of sudden hearing loss and hearing impairment. Here, too, the rule is: Less is often more.

People with hearing loss today have a welcome variety of treatment options to choose from. Modern hearing aids are small, comfortable, and discreet. At the same time, they offer amazing technical capabilities: They automatically adapt to the surrounding environment, reduce distracting background noise, and can connect wirelessly to a smartphone or TV. Conversations can be particularly difficult for people with hearing loss in noisy environments. Features in hearing aids that suppress ambient noise and highlight the person speaking help restore effective communication.

If hearing aids are no longer sufficient to compensate for hearing loss, cochlear implants may be an option. Sometimes one ear is affected by very severe hearing loss, in which case a cochlear implant can be worn in combination with a hearing aid in the other ear. This so-called bimodal approach ensures the most balanced listening experience possible.

Smart technologies are also increasingly finding their way into the field of hearing aids: Some hearing aids can now be integrated into your smart home, for example, to connect to digital voice assistants or to relay the sounds of doorbells or smoke detectors. To learn how this works, read our in-depth article “Hearing Aids in the Smart Home.”

Silence can be healing—not only for the mind, but also for the ears. People who meditate regularly improve their concentration, reduce stress, and bring important bodily functions into balance. It is now well established that these effects can also have a positive impact on hearing.

A systematic review conducted by Maastricht University and Amsterdam UMC analyzed seven studies involving a total of 425 participants that examined the effect of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) on tinnitus. The analysis focused in particular on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT).

The result: In six out of seven studies, there was a statistically significant reduction in perceived tinnitus distress immediately following therapy. Two out of three randomized controlled trials also showed a clinically relevant improvement—that is, noticeable relief for those affected. Although long-term effects require further research, the existing body of studies suggests that mindfulness and meditation can be a valuable complement to tinnitus therapy. [1]

When meditating, if you focus specifically on ambient sounds—such as birdsong or the rustling of trees—you are also unconsciously training your sense of hearing in the process. Over time, your hearing becomes more sensitive to quiet, often-overlooked sounds in everyday life.

Whether with meditation music or in complete silence, both approaches give the ears space to regenerate. Those seeking support can use special noise-canceling headphones.

By the way: Yoga can also have a positive effect on your hearing—especially through exercises that promote blood circulation and reduce stress.

If you want to improve or maintain your hearing, you don’t always need technical assistance right away. You can also achieve a great deal through targeted auditory training. The brain plays a central role in hearing. When auditory stimuli are consciously perceived, filtered, and processed, the auditory nerve remains active and flexible. This is exactly where hearing training comes in: It activates auditory perception and promotes blood flow. It’s a simple yet effective biohacking tool for the sense of hearing. Feel free to use the following exercises for your personal hearing training.

1. Working
   with Your Own VoiceReading aloud trains speech comprehension and conscious acoustic self-awareness. In addition, it helps to mindfully perceive everyday sounds such as footsteps, breathing, or similar sounds. If you’d like, you can write down all the sounds of the day and label them with appropriate terms.
2. Consciously distinguishing
   soundsSit in a quiet place—indoors or outdoors—and close your eyes. Try to perceive all ambient sounds individually: the wind in the trees, birdsong, distant conversations, or the hum of a refrigerator. With a little practice, you’ll sharpen your ability to consciously pick up even quieter sounds.
3. Locating
   sound sourcesOur ears provide the sound, but our brain determines its direction. This ability can be improved with simple exercises: Move through a room with music playing and pay attention to changes in the sound. Or, with your eyes closed, have someone read something to you from different directions and try to pinpoint the exact location of the voice.
4. Stay
   ActiveRegular exercise promotes blood circulation—even in the inner ear. This benefits the cochlea, the “heart” of our hearing organ. Walks, light exercise, or even simple, mindful breathing exercises are therefore ideal for giving your sense of hearing a boost.
5. Playing Together, Listening
   TogetherBoard games promote concentration, responsiveness, and communication through interaction with others. Those who listen carefully while playing train their hearing without even realizing it. At the same time, social interaction helps prevent the isolation that often accompanies untreated hearing loss.

Whether it’s a construction site, traffic, loud everyday activities, or loud music: prolonged or recurring exposure to noise can cause lasting damage to our hearing. If you want to protect your ears, you can do so with simple measures in your daily life. High-quality hearing protection is an important part of keeping your ears safe.

Depending on the situation and your sensitivity, there are different options available:

• Disposable foam or wax
  earplugs:These are inexpensive and particularly practical for occasional use, such as at concerts or around construction site noise. Important: For hygienic reasons, they should only be used once.
• Reusable earplugs made of silicone or polymer foam
  : Silicone is easy to clean, provides a high level of comfort, and can be customized to fit. A custom-fit pair made by an audiologist usually lasts several years. Ideal for anyone who needs hearing protection on a regular basis.
• Headband-style
  hearingprotectionHeadband-style hearing protection is easy to use and lightweight. The earplugs are attached to a headband that is worn over the head, around the neck, or under the chin. Particularly practical for on the go or for shorter periods of use.
• Earmuff-style
  hearing protectionAlso known as “Mickey Mouse headphones,” this type completely encloses the ear and provides reliable protection against intense noise, such as when working with loud machinery. Earmuff-style hearing protection is also a good option for people who have trouble tolerating earplugs.

Biohacking for your ears doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. Even small changes in your daily routine can help preserve your hearing and specifically prevent hearing loss. And much of it is actually really fun. Because when you listen mindfully, you hear better—for a lifetime.

If you're unsure about your hearing or what kind of protection you need, a hearing care professional or ENT doctor in your area can help you.

[1] https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2019.01135/full