One of the most devastating medical problems is hearing loss. Anyone suffering from this problem shouldn’t despair because help is at hand through yoga exercises. Not only can yoga deal with these problems and cure them but also prevent any further hearing loss. Although the best way to prevent hearing loss is to wear best hearing protection like ear muffs or ear plugs, yoga helps immensely.
People suffering with hearing loss can get the best of yoga due to its combination of breathing techniques, meditation and postures because it comes with the twin benefits of stress relief and balance. Researchers have proved that by reducing stress, the impact of Meniere’s disease and its symptoms like hearing loss, vertigo and tinnitus can be reduced if not eliminated.
Yoga for hearing loss
Common ear problems include earache, infection, ringing in the ears, dizziness and clogged ears. Such problems, due to their rarity, can cause panic in a patient but they should realize that not dealing with them can cause further ear damage and hearing loss. Therefore, treatment should be immediate and of good quality.
Yoga can help with treating hearing loss as it improves blood supply to the ear and makes the nerves function better.
How yoga helps with hearing loss
Relieves stress and eases ear pain: Pranayama (Breathing Exercise) can help get rid of stress and ear pain. To do this exercise, sit comfortably and breathe normally. Place your thumb on your right nostril and close it while inhaling through your lest nostril. Now close your left nostril and exhale through the right nostril. Repeat this four times.
Relaxes the neck: A vast number of blood vessels that supply blood to the ears pass through the neck. So, any stiffness in the neck muscles can obstruct blood flow to the ears and affect its proper functioning. A couple of good yoga exercises for this problem are Sukhasana and Vajrasana. Other good yoga exercises that relax the neck region include Balasana (Child’s Pose), Bharadvajasana I (Bharadvaja’s Twist) and Purvottanasana (Upward Plank Pose).
Aligns the spine and enhances hearing: Yoga can keep your spine properly aligned and improve your hearing. Here’s a good yoga exercise for this: Sit in a comfortable position with your spine erect and your shoulders relaxed. Close your eyes, drop your head forward and backward but without sharp jerks. Next, look to the right and then to the left and lastly bend your head to the right and to the left. Then, look to the right and to the left. Finally, bend your head to the right and then slowly to the left. Do this about six times for hearing relief.
Relieves tinnitus: If you experience a ringing sound in the ears, here’s a yoga exercise that can cure it by improving blood circulation in the body. Asanas such as Karnapidasana (Knee to Ear Pose), Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Supported Bridge Pose), Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand), Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend) and Viparita Karani (Legs up the Wall Pose), you can find immense relief.
Gets rid of ear infection: Ear infection can interfere with general hearing, so if adopting yoga for it, Tadasana (Mountain Pose) is best suited for this problem.
Unblocks the ears: To hear well, the ears need a little pressure, but infection or illness can make this uncomfortable. Change of altitude, tumors or blockages in the Eustachian tube can change the pressure in the ear, often causing dizziness and vertigo. This can be remedied with yoga exercises such as Malasana (Garland pose), Sunmukhi Mudras, Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half spinal twist) and Halasana (Plough pose).
Conclusion
From the above, it is evident that yoga exercises, if done regularly, could well be the best means of hearing protection and restoration for those with problems like tinnitus, infection or balance.
Author Bio:
Misha is an avid blogger who loves to write on health. She manages the blog auditoryprotection.com. When she is not writing, she is watching her movies or cooking her favorite recipes.
