The importance of looking after your ear health cannot be ignored. We often take our hearing for granted without realising it. However, negligence can soon manifest itself with infections and other ear problems, a lot of which cannot be reversed. One of the problems is that a lot of people make mistakes when it comes to caring for their ears without realising they are doing so. With that being said, below, we are going to take you through some of the ear care mistakes people make on a daily basis so that you can avoid making the same errors.
Rinsing your ears with a syringe
First and foremost, we do not recommend rinsing your ears with a syringe. The method itself is safe when it is done correctly. However, this is not something you are going to be able to perform on yourself because you will not be able to see what you are doing.
If you do not rinse and dry your ears correctly, you can end up getting swimmer’s ear. And, no matter how many videos you watch or instruction guides you read, you are never going to be able to see inside your own ear, and so this approach is never a DIY ear cleaning option.
Cleaning your ears too much
Yes, there is definitely such a thing as cleaning your ears too much. A lot of people do not realise that ears are self-cleaning. This is the only part of your body where the skin grows in a direction, bringing the skin debris and wax out of your ear canal and into the outer ear. In fact, whenever you chew or move your jaw, you are helping this process along.
Some individuals do have more earwax when compared with others. However, generally speaking, your ears will make the amount of wax they require. Cerumen, which is a substance that has an orange-yellow colour, will protect the skin in your ear canal by lubricating it and stopping it from filling up with water.
It is an effective natural skin lotion. Plus, cerumen also has different properties that can kill certain types of bacteria, as well as prevent fungus growth. So, rather than digging for treasure in your ear canals, you should wait for the wax to get looser on its own and reach the outer ear. Once you have done this, wash it out gently with a washcloth.
Using ear-cleaning candles
In recent times, we have seen that more and more people are using ear-cleaning candles, which you can buy on the likes of Amazon. They promise to draw out your earwax and unclog your ears.
However, there has been no proof that these candles are able to do anything they promise to do. At the same time, they can be quite a risk. This is because they could open up perforations in your eardrum or you could even get burned by the flame.
Not seeing a doctor if you’re experiencing hearing loss or ear pain
We all experience a little bit of muffling or ringing in our ears on occasion. However, if it is getting worse over time or is persistent, it is imperative that you see someone.
The same applies if you are experiencing ear pain at the moment. While this does not always mean that you have a problem with your ears, it could be an indication that something else is going on in your body. Your ears share common nerves with your throat, teeth, and jaws. So, problems with these parts of your body, like throat cancer, can cause your ears to hurt.
So, if you are experiencing pain in your ear and it won’t go away after a day or two, the worst thing you can do is ignore it. Instead, get an appointment booked with your doctor as soon as possible so that they can get to the bottom of what you are experiencing and provide you with the right treatment.
Sticking cotton swabs in your ears to clean earwax
A lot of people try to remove earwax from their ears by using a cotton swab. This is not a good idea. To keep your ears healthy, you do need to have some earwax because it is a protective mechanism that lubricates your ears. At the same time, too much can be uncomfortable.
While you may be uncomfortable because you have too much earwax in your ears, cotton swabs are only going to make it worse. This will push the wax further inside of your ear canal, potentially causing more damage to your ear canal.
In fact, if you even read the box that your cotton buds came in, you will see that there is a message on it that states you should not stick them in your ears. Instead, gently wash your ears with a wet cloth and the wax should come out. If you are still feeling uncomfortable, you may want to consider booking an appointment with an audiologist who will be able to remove the earwax safely for you.
Blasting your ears with loud music
A final mistake that we see a lot of people make is that they blast their eardrums with loud music on a daily basis. People do not give a second thought to what this music may be doing to their eardrums. Instead, they simply keep blasting music as loud as they can without thinking about what it might do to them!
Unhealthy exposure like this can cause your ears to become desensitised and you can end up experiencing gradual hearing impairment. Aside from loud music, scientists recommend avoiding noisy environments because it can cause damage to the hair cells in your ears. These hair cells send sound signals to the brain, and if they start to break down, it can lead to hearing loss.
So, it is imperative to make sure that you never play music through your headphones at a volume higher than 60 per cent to protect your ears. If you are attending a concert or a party, don’t stand right next to the speakers. This is the worst place you can be!
Also, if you work in a noisy environment, your employer should already have provisions in place to protect your hearing. However, if this is something you are worried about, don’t simply remain silent. Bring it up with them so that you can get the protection you need.
Final words on the ear care mistakes you need to avoid making
So there you have it: an insight into some of the common mistakes that people tend to make when it comes to looking after their ears. We do not want you to suffer from hearing issues or discomfort in your ears in the future, which is why it is so important to make sure that you avoid the errors that we have mentioned in this post so that you can maintain happy and healthy ears. If you have noticed that you make any of the ear care mistakes, we have discussed, there is no need to panic, but you do need to change your habits so that your ears are always clean and healthy.