Our ears are frequently what carry the load of accidental harm from neglect in our hectic daily lives. There are a few common but dangerous practices, like utilizing cotton swabs and ear candling, that will put your hearing health at risk. Below, we delve into four important methods to safeguard your sense of hearing and keep your ears healthy.
Bid farewell to ear candling
In spite of the total lack of scientific merit, the ancient practice of attempting to remove earwax has recently achieved some popularity. It’s believed that a vacuum is produced when a hollow ear candle is inserted into your ear canal and the wick at the other end is lit supposedly drawing impurities out. This practice, however, has been proven in a number of studies to not only be ineffective, but also extremely risky.
Not only does ear candling fail to eliminate earwax efficiently, but it also poses substantial risks. The application of heat near the sensitive structures of the ear can result in burns, perforated eardrums, and even exacerbate existing problems. Normally, if you see any wax after ear candling, it will be from the candle itself rather than your ears.
Medical professionals always warn against ear candling because of these findings. Both the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the American Academy of Otolaryngology (AAO) warn against this practice, emphasizing safer options for ear hygiene.
No more cotton swabs
It’s true that many people turn to these apparently innocuous tools to clean earwax out of their ears. But there are more risks than advantages to inserting a cotton swab into your ear canal. Rather than effectively removing earwax, swabs can unintentionally pack wax deeper into the ear canal, leading to impaction and possible injury.
The eardrum is delicate and objects like cotton swabs can cause significant damage. Injuries, such as perforations or abrasions can occur, leading to pain, infection, and hearing loss. It would be better to obtain professional assistance if necessary or otherwise depend on your ear’s self-cleaning ability instead of putting any object in the ear.
Keep volumes to a minimum
In an increasingly noisy world, our ears are continuously bombarded by sounds of varying volumes. Exposure to loud sound is unavoidable, from going to sporting events and concerts to walking down busy city streets to mowing your lawn. Over-exposure to loud noises like these can have negative effects on your hearing health resulting in tinnitus and noise-related hearing loss.
It’s essential to use ear protection and, if possible, avoid overly loud settings in order to prevent damage. This includes wearing ear protection, such as earmuffs or earplugs, in noisy environments and restricting exposure to loud noises whenever you can.
Also, take regular breaks and moderate the volume when you’re utilizing personal listening devices such as headphones and earpods.
Listen to your ears: act quickly on symptoms
Perhaps the most essential aspect of maintaining optimal hearing health is being attentive to the signals your ears provide and taking quick action in response to any concerning symptoms. If you hold off on getting your hearing loss treated you will probably exacerbate the problem.
If you have symptoms like ringing in the ears, trouble understanding speech, or pain or pressure in your ears, it’s important that you recognize it. If any of these symptoms are encountered, seek assessment from a qualified hearing specialist or otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat specialist) immediately. Early diagnosis and intervention can substantially improve results and enhance your quality of life.
Your ability to successfully navigate the landscape of your life depends on you keeping your hearing as healthy as possible. We can maintain our healthy hearing by avoiding cotton swabs and ear candles, protecting our ears against loud noise, and identifying early warning symptoms.
If you suspect that you might be experiencing any symptoms of hearing loss, call us today for an appointment.