In the hectic frenzy of day-to-day life, our ears frequently shoulder the burden of neglect and inadvertent harm. From the allure of ear candling to the apparently harmless act of using cotton swabs, our hearing health can suffer from these prevalent yet hazardous practices. Below, we explore four essential methods to safeguard your sense of hearing and keep your ears protected.
Bid farewell to ear candling
Ear candling, an ancient practice supposed to remove earwax and promote ear health, has gained popularity despite lacking scientific merit. The process involves inserting a hollow candle into the ear canal and lighting the opposite end, with the idea that a vacuum is created, drawing out impurities. However, numerous studies have debunked this practice, highlighting its ineffectiveness and potential risks.
You might 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 problems can all be consequences of this practice. Furthermore, the residue left behind after ear candling often is comprised of candle wax and debris as opposed to extracted earwax.
In light of these findings, medical experts universally warn against the use of ear candling. There are safer methods of cleaning your ears than cotton swabs and the FDA and the Academy of Otolaryngology (AAO) advise against using them.
Banish the cotton swabs
It’s true that lots of people turn to these apparently harmless tools to clean earwax out of their ears. However, contrary to public opinion, inserting cotton swabs into the ear canal poses more risks than benefits. Impaction and possible injury can be the outcome 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. Pain, infection, and hearing loss can all be the outcomes 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 upon the ear’s self-cleaning mechanisms or seek professional help if necessary.
Keep volumes to a minimum
In an increasingly noisy world, our ears are continuously bombarded by sounds of differing intensities. 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 negative effects on your hearing health resulting in tinnitus and noise-related hearing loss.
To mitigate the threat of hearing damage, it is critical to be aware of sound levels and take active steps to safeguard your ears. Whenever you can’t avoid really loud noise, protection like earplugs and earmuffs should be used.
Additionally, when utilizing personal audio devices, like headphones or earbuds, maintaining a moderate volume and taking regular rests can help preserve hearing health.
Listen to your ears: act quickly on symptoms
Perhaps the most essential aspect of maintaining optimal hearing health is being alert to the signals your ears give you and taking prompt action in response to any concerning symptoms. 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 acknowledge it. If any of these symptoms are encountered, 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 substantially increased by early detection and intervention.
Your ability to effectively 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 evaluation if you are suffering from ear damage or hearing loss.