Take care of your ears like you take care of your eyes and teeth! Hearing loss can be treated and sometimes even prevented, but you need to do your part.

Everyone needs a baseline audiogram. Having a baseline audiogram helps hearing healthcare professionals recommend treatment (if needed) and/or identify future hearing problems. Getting a baseline audiogram is easy and crucial for hearing wellness.

See a physician to treat your ear problems. Ear infections such as "swimmer's ear," any drainage from the ear, sudden hearing loss, acute or chronic dizziness, or pain in one or both ears should be treated by a physician immediately. Trying to fix the problem at home is dangerous and can make things worse.

Never put bobby pins, keys or other objects into your ears for any reason. Only a physician is qualified to remove impacted wax or foreign objects from your ears.

Avoid constant exposure to loud noises as much as possible. If you must be around loud noises for any length of time, be sure to wear hearing protection.