The last thing you want is to be diagnosed with hearing loss or ear damage because your condition can be irreversible if it happens. Unfortunately, many people wait till they have problems before paying attention to their ears, and sometimes it is too late. Your ears are sensitive and prone to all kinds of infections, so it is essential to care for them properly. With ear care, there are right and wrong ways. For example, cleaning your ears the wrong way can lead to wax impaction or ear injuries. Here are three things you can do to promote your ear health.
Always Use Ear Plugs When In Loud Environments
Unfortunately, many experience noise-induced hearing loss due to engagement within loud leisure or business environments. If you are constantly in environments that require you to shout so the next person can hear, you need to protect your ears by wearing earplugs. Clubs, concerts, lawnmowers, chainsaws qualify for environments with dangerous levels of sound. Earplugs are one of the ways to keep your ears from becoming damaged. Additionally, earplugs and earmuffs are suitable for protecting your ears from loud noises. Also, hearing protection can prolong your ability to hear sounds. They will also save you from getting Tinnitus, a hearing disorder characterized by a constant buzzing or ringing in your ears. Do not buy earplugs off the internet but speak to an audiologist to have a pair custom made for your ear shape.
Regularly Visit Your Audiologist Or ENT Specialist
As part of your regular ear health maintenance, you should pay frequent visits to your audiologist. They are qualified to understand your overall medical and health history and spot and diagnose any changes in your health. For example, hearing damages can be hard to detect because they are mostly gradual. Visiting an audiologist will help detect ear ailments and also diagnose any irregularities and changes to your hearing. An audiologist will then offer the best course of treatment for any ear ailments or hearing loss. If you have been diagnosed with hearing loss, choosing a hearing aid shouldn’t be something you do on your own but with the help of your audiologist.
Avoid Using Cotton Swabs/Buds For Your Ears
It is not uncommon to see people regularly clean dirt and wax from their ear canals using cotton swabs. Still, many audiologists have advised against using this method to clean your ears. Wax naturally occurs in your ears. Having wax in your ears does not hurt. Instead, it is essential because it prevents harmful particles such as dust from getting into your ear canal. The ears clean themselves, so they do not need any help. Please do not insert any sharp objects inside your ear canals because they can cause harm to sensitive organs such as the eardrum. To remove excess wax, gently clean around the canal with a damp towel. Do not use any ear wax removal solution without the permission of your audiologist. Although ear wax removal solutions soften the wax and allow it to flow out, using them without professional guidance may lead to further ear damage.