In the hectic frenzy of day-to-day life, our ears often bear the brunt of neglect and accidental 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 hazardous practices. Below, we explore four essential strategies to safeguard your sense of hearing and keep your ears protected.
Bid farewell to ear candling
In spite of the complete lack of scientific merit, the ancient practice of attempting to remove earwax has recently gained some popularity. The process involves inserting a hollow candle into the ear canal and lighting the opposite end, with the notion that a vacuum is created, drawing out impurities. However, numerous studies have debunked this practice, showcasing its ineffectiveness and potential risks.
You could be putting your hearing in peril by using a practice that won’t even eliminate any earwax. Burns to the sensitive ear structures, perforated eardrums, and aggravation of existing issues can all be consequences of this practice. Usually, 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) caution against this practice, emphasizing safer alternatives for ear hygiene.
No more cotton swabs
It’s true that lots of individuals turn to these seemingly harmless tools to clean earwax out of their ears. However, contrary to public opinion, inserting cotton swabs into the ear canal presents more dangers than advantages. Rather than effectively removing earwax, swabs can accidentally push wax deeper into the ear canal, leading to impaction and potential injury.
The eardrum is sensitive and objects such as cotton swabs can cause substantial damage. Injuries, such as perforations or abrasions can occur, resulting in pain, infection, and hearing loss. To avoid these complications, it is beneficial to steer clear of inserting any objects into the ear canal and instead depend on the ear’s self-cleaning mechanisms or seek professional help if necessary.
Be mindful of the volume: protect against loud noise
In an increasingly noisy world, our ears are continuously bombarded by sounds of varying intensities. From busy city streets to leisure activities like concerts and sporting events, exposure to loud sound is ubiquitous. However, sustained or excessive exposure can have harmful effects on hearing health, leading to noise-induced hearing loss or tinnitus.
It’s crucial to use ear protection and, if possible, avoid very loud settings in order to prevent damage. Whenever you can’t steer clear of extremely loud noise, protection such as earplugs and earmuffs should be utilized.
Also, take frequent breaks and moderate the volume when you’re utilizing personal listening devices like headphones and earpods.
Listen to your ears: act promptly on symptoms
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. Despite the availability of advanced treatments, including hearing aids, delaying intervention can worsen hearing loss and complicate management.
If you have symptoms like ringing in the ears, difficulty understanding speech, or pain or pressure in your ears, it’s essential that you recognize it. If any of these symptoms are experienced, seek assessment from a qualified hearing specialist or otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat specialist) immediately. Early detection and intervention can substantially improve outcomes and improve your quality of life.
Your ability to successfully navigate the landscape of your life is dependent on you keeping your hearing as healthy as you can. We can maintain our healthy hearing by avoiding cotton swabs and ear candles, protecting our ears against loud noise, and recognizing early warning symptoms.
Call us immediately for an assessment if you are suffering from ear damage or hearing loss.
