In the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life, our ears often shoulder the burden of neglect and inadvertent harm. From the allure of ear candling to the apparently harmless act of utilizing cotton swabs, our auditory health can suffer from these prevalent yet dangerous practices. Below, we delve into four important ways to safeguard your sense of hearing and keep your ears protected.
Ear candling is a no-no
Despite the complete lack of scientific merit, the ancient practice of trying to remove earwax has recently gained some popularity. It’s believed that a vacuum is created when a hollow ear candle is inserted into your ear canal and the wick at the other end is lit supposedly pulling impurities out. However, numerous studies have debunked this practice, emphasizing its ineffectiveness and potential risks.
You might be putting your hearing in jeopardy by employing a practice that won’t even remove any earwax. The application of heat near the sensitive structures of the ear can lead to burns, perforated eardrums, and even exacerbate existing issues. Usually, if you see any wax after ear candling, it will be from the candle itself rather than your ears.
In light of these findings, medical professionals universally warn against the use of ear candling. There are safer ways to clean your ears than cotton swabs and the FDA and the Academy of Otolaryngology (AAO) advise against using them.
Get rid of the cotton swabs
The attraction of cotton swabs for ear cleaning is indisputable, with many individuals turning to these seemingly innocuous tools for maintenance. However, contrary to popular belief, inserting cotton swabs into the ear canal poses more dangers than benefits. Impaction and potential injury can be the result of using cotton swabs rather than actually cleaning out earwax.
The sensitive nature of the eardrum makes it vulnerable to damage from foreign objects, including cotton swabs. Injuries, like perforations or abrasions can occur, creating pain, infection, and hearing impairment. To avoid these complications, it is beneficial to refrain from inserting any objects into the ear canal and instead depend upon the ear’s self-cleaning mechanisms or seek professional assistance if necessary.
Keep volumes to a minimum
In an increasingly noisy world, our ears are constantly inundated by sounds of varying intensities. Exposure to loud sound is inevitable, from going to sporting events and concerts to strolling down noisy city streets to mowing your lawn. Over-exposure to loud sounds like these can have detrimental effects on your hearing health resulting in tinnitus and noise-related hearing loss.
To minimize the risk of hearing damage, it is essential to be mindful of noise levels and take active measures to safeguard your ears. Whenever you can’t avoid extremely loud noise, protection like earplugs and earmuffs should be used.
Also, take regular breaks and moderate the volume when you’re using personal listening devices such as headphones and earpods.
If you notice any symptoms, act promptly
Taking fast action when your ears begin to tell you that you’re starting to encounter some level of hearing loss is essential to protect your ears from harm. If you hold off on getting your hearing loss treated you will probably exacerbate the issue.
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 evaluation from a qualified hearing specialist or otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat specialist) immediately. Your hearing results as well as your quality of life will be substantially enhanced by early detection and intervention.
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.
Call us today for an assessment if you are suffering from ear damage or hearing loss.