Our ears are often what carry the load of unintentional harm from neglect in our busy day-to-day lives. 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 ways to safeguard your sense of hearing and keep your ears healthy.
Ear candling is a no-no
Ear candling, an ancient practice purported to remove earwax and improve ear health, has gained popularity despite lacking scientific merit. It’s believed that a vacuum is produced when a hollow ear candle is inserted into your ear canal and the wick at the opposite end is lit allegedly drawing impurities out. This practice, however, has been proven in several studies to not only be ineffective, but also very risky.
Not only does ear candling fail to eliminate earwax effectively, but it also poses considerable hazards. Burns to the sensitive ear structures, perforated eardrums, and aggravation of existing problems can all be consequences of this practice. Normally, if you see any wax after ear candling, it will be from the candle itself rather than your ears.
Medical professionals always discourage ear candling because of these findings. 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
The attraction of cotton swabs for ear cleaning is unquestionable, with many individuals turning to these seemingly innocuous tools for maintenance. But there are more dangers than advantages to inserting a cotton swab into your ear canal. Impaction and potential injury can be the result of using cotton swabs rather than actually cleaning out earwax.
The delicate nature of the eardrum makes it susceptible to damage from outside objects, including cotton swabs. Pain, infection, and hearing loss can all be the results of perforations or abrasions of the eardrum. To avoid these complications, it is advisable to refrain from inserting any objects into the ear canal and instead rely on the ear’s self-cleaning systems or seek professional assistance if needed.
Keep volumes to a minimum
In a progressively noisy world, our ears are continuously inundated by sounds of varying volumes. From bustling city streets to leisure activities like concerts and sporting events, exposure to loud sound is unavoidable. Over-exposure to loud noises like these can have detrimental effects on your hearing health leading to tinnitus and noise-related hearing loss.
To minimize the threat of hearing damage, it is essential to be mindful of noise levels and take proactive steps to protect your ears. This includes using ear protection, like earmuffs or earplugs, in loud environments and limiting exposure to loud noises whenever you can.
In addition, when utilizing personal audio devices, such as headphones or earbuds, retaining a moderate volume and taking regular breaks can help maintain hearing health.
Listen to your ears: act promptly on symptoms
Taking quick action when your ears begin to tell you that you’re starting to experience some degree of hearing loss is essential to protect your ears from harm. In spite of the availability of advanced treatments, such as hearing aids, delaying intervention can exacerbate hearing loss and complicate treatment.
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. Make an appointment with us right away if you encounter any of these symptoms. 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 possible. We can maintain our healthy hearing by avoiding cotton swabs and ear candles, protecting our ears against loud noise, and recognizing early warning signs.
If you think that you may be experiencing any symptoms of hearing loss, call us today for an appointment.
