3 Tips For Ear Health

Out of our five senses, our hearing is the one most commonly lost or decreased from preventable causes. Taking care of your ears is imperative if you want to keep your hearing as sharp as possible and avoiding any kind of ear problems. Here are three tips for ear health:

1. Keep your music at a low volume. If you use earphones, it is important to keep the level down at a low volume. Ear phones tunnel sound directly into the ear drum and long term exposure to high volume levels can gradually wear out the tiny hair cells of the inner ear that convert sound into nerve signals that go to the brain. Keep the volume at a level where you can still hear whatever you are listening to, but if someone were to start talking to you, you would still be able to hear them.

2. Take special care when in the water. Damage to your ears caused by water can be avoided or minimized by taking special care of your ears when you are in the water. Try to avoid unnecessary submersion under water such as when bathing, showering or swimming. If you enjoy water sports you may want to consider ear plugs to further protect your ears.

3. Careful cleaning practices. Even though many people clean their ears with cotton swabs, doctors highly advise against this. Q-tips can punture the ear drum and can do severe damage to the internal ear which is sometimes irreparable. The ears can clean themselves without anything being shoved into them. If you do feel that there is a build up of wax or are having trouble hearing, see your doctor instead of trying to fix the problem yourself.

Hearing loss generally occurs over a period of time and results from a number of different factors. Keep your ear health in mind as much as you can and see a doctor for regular check ups to keep your ears in good health for life.