In the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life, our ears often bear the brunt of neglect and inadvertent harm. From the allure of ear candling to the apparently harmless act of utilizing cotton swabs, our hearing health can suffer from these prevalent yet perilous practices. What follows are a few practices you can use to help protect the health of your hearing.
Say good by to ear candling
Ear candling, an ancient practice purported to remove earwax and improve ear health, has gained popularity in spite of lacking scientific merit. It’s believed that a vacuum is produced when a hollow ear candle is inserted into your ear canal and the wick at the opposite end is lit allegedly drawing impurities out. This practice, however, has been proven in several studies to not only be ineffective, but also extremely risky.
You could be putting your hearing in jeopardy by employing a practice that won’t even remove any earwax. The application of heat near the delicate structures of the ear can result in burns, perforated eardrums, and even aggravate existing problems. Usually, if you notice 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 methods for ear hygiene.
Banish the cotton swabs
It’s true that lots of individuals turn to these apparently harmless tools to clean earwax out of their ears. But there are more risks than benefits to inserting a cotton swab into your ear canal. Impaction and possible injury can be the result of using cotton swabs rather than actually cleaning out earwax.
The fragile nature of the eardrum makes it vulnerable to damage from foreign objects, including cotton swabs. Injuries, like perforations or abrasions can occur, leading to pain, infection, and hearing loss. To prevent these complications, it is beneficial to refrain from inserting any objects into the ear canal and instead rely on the ear’s self-cleaning systems or seek professional help if necessary.
Mind the volume: protect against loud noise
In an increasingly noisy world, our ears are continuously inundated by sounds of differing volumes. From bustling city streets to leisure activities such as concerts and sporting events, exposure to loud noise is ubiquitous. Nonetheless, prolonged or excessive exposure can have harmful effects on auditory health, leading to noise-induced hearing loss or tinnitus.
It’s crucial to use ear protection and, if possible, avoid excessively loud settings in order to avoid damage. This includes using ear protection, including earmuffs or earplugs, in noisy settings and limiting exposure to loud noises whenever you can.
In addition, when using personal audio devices, like headphones or earbuds, maintaining a moderate volume and taking regular breaks can help preserve hearing health.
Listen to your ears: act promptly on symptoms
Taking quick action when your ears begin to tell you that you’re starting to experience some level of hearing loss is critical to protect your ears from harm. If you hold off on getting your hearing loss treated you will most likely exacerbate the issue.
It is crucial to identify common signs of hearing loss, such as difficulty understanding speech, ringing or buzzing in the ears (tinnitus), or a feeling of fullness or pressure in the ears. If any of these symptoms are experienced, seek evaluation from a qualified hearing specialist or otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat specialist) promptly. Your hearing outcomes as well as your quality of life will be substantially increased by early detection and intervention.
Your ability to effectively navigate the landscape of your life is dependent on you keeping your hearing as healthy as possible. We can maintain our healthy hearing by avoiding cotton swabs and ear candles, safeguarding our ears against loud noise, and recognizing early warning symptoms.
Call us immediately for an evaluation if you are suffering from ear damage or hearing loss.