In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, our ears frequently shoulder the burden of neglect and inadvertent harm. There are a few common but hazardous practices, including making use of cotton swabs and ear candling, that will put your hearing health in peril. Below, we delve into four important ways to safeguard your sense of hearing and keep your ears protected.
Bid farewell to ear candling
Despite the total lack of scientific merit, the ancient practice of trying to eliminate earwax has recently gained some popularity. It’s believed that a vacuum is produced when a hollow ear candle is inserted into your ear canal and the wick at the other end is lit supposedly drawing impurities out. However, several studies have debunked this practice, emphasizing its ineffectiveness and potential risks.
Not only does ear candling fail to remove earwax effectively, but it also poses significant hazards. Burns to the delicate 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 consists of candle wax and debris as opposed to extracted earwax.
Medical professionals always warn against ear candling because of these findings. There are safer methods of cleaning your ears than cotton swabs and the FDA and the Academy of Otolaryngology (AAO) advise against using them.
Get rid of the cotton swabs
It’s true that many individuals turn to these apparently innocuous tools to clean earwax out of their ears. However, contrary to public opinion, inserting cotton swabs into the ear canal presents more dangers than benefits. Instead of effectively eliminating earwax, swabs can unintentionally jam wax deeper into the ear canal, resulting in impaction and potential injury.
The eardrum is delicate and objects such as cotton swabs can cause substantial damage. Injuries, such as perforations or abrasions can happen, creating pain, infection, and hearing loss. It would be better to obtain professional help if necessary or otherwise rely on your ear’s self-cleaning ability instead of putting any object in the ear.
Keep volumes to a minimum
It’s a noisy world we live in and our ears are continuously being assaulted by noises of all different volume levels. From busy city streets to recreational activities such as concerts and sporting events, exposure to loud noise is ubiquitous. Over-exposure to loud sounds like these can have detrimental effects on your hearing health resulting in tinnitus and noise-related hearing loss.
It’s essential to use hearing protection and, if you can, avoid overly loud settings in order to avoid damage. This includes using hearing protection, such as earmuffs or earplugs, in loud settings and limiting exposure to loud noises whenever you can.
Also, take frequent breaks and moderate the volume when you’re utilizing personal listening devices like headphones and earpods.
If you detect any symptoms, act promptly
Taking fast action when your ears begin to tell you that you’re starting to encounter some degree of hearing loss is crucial to protect your ears from harm. Despite the availability of advanced treatments, including hearing aids, holding off on intervention can worsen hearing loss and complicate management.
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. Make an appointment with us right away if you encounter any of these symptoms. Your hearing outcomes 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 preserve our healthy hearing by avoiding cotton swabs and ear candles, protecting our ears against loud noise, and identifying early warning signs.
Call us immediately for an assessment if you are suffering from ear damage or hearing loss.