Our ears are often what carry the load of accidental harm from neglect in our hectic day-to-day lives. There are some common but hazardous practices, like making use of cotton swabs and ear candling, that will put your hearing health in peril. Below, we explore four important ways to safeguard your sense of hearing and keep your ears healthy.
Bid farewell to ear candling
Ear candling, an ancient practice supposed to extract earwax and improve ear health, has gained popularity despite lacking scientific merit. The process involves inserting a hollow candle into the ear canal and igniting the opposite end, with the belief that a vacuum is created, pulling out impurities. This practice, however, has been proven in several studies to not only be ineffective, but also extremely risky.
You might be putting your hearing in jeopardy by using 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 notice any wax after ear candling, it will be from the candle itself rather than your ears.
In light of these findings, medical professionals universally discourage 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) warn against using them.
Get rid of the cotton swabs
It’s true that many people turn to these seemingly innocuous tools to clean earwax out of their ears. However, contrary to popular belief, inserting cotton swabs into the ear canal poses more dangers than advantages. Impaction and potential injury can be the result of using cotton swabs rather than actually cleaning out earwax.
The eardrum is sensitive and objects such as cotton swabs can cause significant damage. Pain, infection, and hearing impairment can all be the results of perforations or abrasions of the eardrum. To prevent these complications, it is advisable to refrain from inserting any objects into the ear canal and instead depend on the ear’s self-cleaning systems or seek professional help if needed.
Keep volumes to a minimum
It’s a noisy world we live in and our ears are continuously being assaulted by sounds of all different volumes. From bustling city streets to leisure activities like concerts and sporting events, exposure to loud noise is ubiquitous. Over-exposure to loud noises like these can have detrimental effects on your hearing health leading to tinnitus and noise-related hearing loss.
To decrease the threat of hearing damage, it is essential to be mindful of sound levels and take active measures to safeguard your ears. Whenever you can’t steer clear of extremely loud noise, protection like earplugs and earmuffs should be utilized.
Additionally, when using personal audio devices, such as 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 fast action when your ears begin to tell you that you’re starting to experience some degree of hearing loss is critical to protect your ears from damage. If you wait to get 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 experienced, seek assessment from a qualified hearing specialist or otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat specialist) immediately. Your hearing outcomes as well as your quality of life will be significantly 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. By adopting these four practices, avoiding ear candling and cotton swabs, protecting against loud noise, and understanding early warning signs, we can preserve our precious sense of hearing and enjoy the symphony of sounds that enhance our existence.
If you suspect that you may be experiencing any symptoms of hearing loss, call us today for an appointment.