With the long Easter weekend ahead of us, we should all be looking forward to four days of relaxation, reflection and festivity. As a fun way to remind ourselves how precious our ears are, and to give us some extra motivation to look after them, we’ve pulled together these Easter-related hearing facts.
1. Bunny ears
The Easter Bunny may be top of the chain in the Easter egg hunt but regular bunnies are vulnerable to attack in the dangerous environment of the real world. Luckily, their beautiful long ears don’t just make them look good, but provide an outstanding hearing ability that can alert them to any threats heading their way… from up to a whopping 3 km away.
2. Hot cross bunnies
Those big ears aren’t just used for hearing either. They perform an important role in regulating a rabbit’s body temperature. Making up around 12% of their total body surface, the ears act as the major area for heat loss which is vital, especially in hot countries like Australia, as bunnies aren’t well equipped to release heat in other ways.
3. Eggs can hear
Baby chicks can hear outside noises while still inside the shell. In fact, this is how some songbirds learn their song. Ducks and chickens speak to their eggs so that when they hatch they know their parents’ voices. Scientists have even discovered Zebra Finch parents have a special song they sing to their eggs to warn them if the weather is getting hot. The song has been found to result in earlier hatching, producing smaller babies who find it easier to keep cool. Amazing!
4. Age-related hearing loss? Not for chickens
While age-related hearing loss can almost feel like an inevitability for us humans, chickens need not worry. They have the remarkable ability to regrow any damaged hearing cells so they can enjoy their favourite sounds for life, which incidentally may include classical music, favoured by many commercial farmers to promote wellbeing among their flock resulting in larger eggs.
5. Most importantly… human ears love chocolate
One of the most fun parts of Easter? An abundance of choccie treats that also keep your hearing healthy. Yes, you heard correctly, chocolate, in particular dark chocolate, contains zinc and magnesium which have been proven to help protect ears from age-related hearing loss and noise-related damage. Chocolate also boosts the immune system to keep infections away.
… and seafood!
Another good food source of zinc is a Good Friday favourite, the seafood platter. It’s also rich in Omega-3, which has been proven to reduce the risk of hearing loss in women. Studies show that women who consume at least two portions of fish per week had a 20% lower risk of developing hearing loss, than those who rarely consumed seafood.
So, go ahead, have an extra oyster or prawn on Good Friday, entertain the kids with your new knowledge about the Easter bunny and hearing eggs but most of all, do the right thing by your ears and enjoy those yummy chocolate eggs!*
*in moderation – sorry!